My New Old Life
by tessinciucy
Summary: Set a few years in the future. The life of our favorite team has drastically changed, but some events will bring them back to where they were… well almost. Mostly about Kensi and Deeks but it involves the whole team.
1. Chapter 1

Time to post something new. Don't ask me where this came from, it just happened...

Usual disclaimer here because I don't own NCISLA or its characters. As always a big thank you to purecraziness for keeping up with me and to the people who helped me to clear my mind (You know who you are), I truly appreciate it. :))

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><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 1<p>

The fresh air of the late morning lashed across his face and played with his hair as the man limped along the little paths of the garden surrounding Montgomery High School. He leaned on his walking stick at every step, used to not putting too much weight on his right leg.

The bag across his shoulder danced at every movement but fortunately today it was lighter than usual and didn't bother him as much as it usually did. It was Friday and like every Friday he had just a couple of hours of school.

His tired eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses and he was very grateful that people couldn't see the dark circles under his orbs caused by one of his usual sleepless nights.

A group of students almost crashed against him while they were happily running towards the main building.

Montgomery High School was an old building that once was the home of the Naval Administrative Offices. It was turned into a school fifteen years ago and because of its history, it was attended by children of Navy personnel.

Fortunately, it wasn't very big and all the students and teachers knew one another.

The entire building was surrounded by a green park with high trees that were simply magnificent in this period of the year, in a carnival of red, yellow, and green leaves. It was an amazing view, worth the sight and mostly a good place to work at.

The man smiled, taking a long deep breath, thinking about the two classes he was going to attend today. He truly enjoyed his job, so different from what he did for living three years ago. He truly liked kids, spending time with them was a pleasure for him and he was really happy that his students were enjoying his lessons. He never imagined he could have made a good teacher, but apparently, he did.

He remembered his reluctance when his old boss suggested him the change of scenario. He truly thought that she was crazy, but once again, she was right. Once again, she trusted his qualities more than he trusted them himself and right now, he could be only glad that she pushed and pushed until he gave it a try at least. Right now, he could not be happier of his new career. It had been a drastic and traumatic change, sadly necessary, but for sure it had been worth it. He could still make a difference for the people, only in a completely different way.

The man was still walking when he heard someone calling his name.

"Mr. Deeks!" A teenage girl approached him, running and almost out of breathh. "Mr. Deeks, wait please."

Marty Deeks stopped, allowing the girl to catch up with him. He took off his sunglasses, putting them in the inside pocket of his jacket. A kind smile appeared on his face as he greeted her. "Good morning, Allison. What can I do for you?"

Allison McGregor was a small girl with long hazelnut hair and curious green eyes. She was one of Deeks' students and probably one of the most interested and suited for his subject. "Good morning, Mr. Deeks. I only wanted to give you back the book you lent me the other day. It was very interesting and helped me a lot with my essay, the one you are going to collect today."

He took the offered, overused, torn book and some old memories came back to him, memories of his own teacher, Mr. Lee, giving him the same book to help him for his graduation. "I'm glad it was helpful."

"I… I am sorry but I couldn't help myself and read the note on the inside of the cover…" Allison said a bit ashamed.

The smile on Deeks' lips grew fonder and his eyes sparkled. "Mr. Lee was like a mentor to me, he helped me find my way and I can't be more grateful for what he did." A heavy sigh escaped from his mouth. "He wrote those words for me the day before his death. I like to think that one of his last thoughts was for me… it honors me."

"It was a wonderful message, I am… I am sure… well, I think you made him proud." The girl muttered, clearly feeling a bit out of place, a bit of an intruder.

"I like to think I did." There was a lot of melancholy, of sadness in his voice. "Would you like to walk with me to the building or will your friends give you hard time if you hang out with a teacher?"

"Oh, they can go to hell. I'm free to do whatever I want!" Allison replied with a mischievous grin. Her friends, especially her girlfriends, would be just jealous. Professor Marty Deeks was the hottest teacher of the whole school and every girl would die to just stand so close to him.

Deeks couldn't help but smile. He was aware of what students thought of him and he played along unless it was embarrassing or unless some boy or girl crossed the line. One thing was being friendly and available when the kids needed it and another was having them to show him some respect. "So, let's go then." He started walking, grimacing when his leg made itself noticeable after being still for a little while.

Allison observed him, biting her lip, wondering if it was wise to ask the question that was wandering through her mind. "What happened?" She finally managed to mutter.

The teacher looked at her a bit surprised while his hand tightened the grip on his walking stick. "It's… it's a long story." He murmured a bit uneasy.

"Was it an accident?" The girl insisted, but her tone was not filled with curiosity but mostly with sympathy. "I heard that you… that you were a…" She couldn't finish what she was saying because her eyes grew wider and a terrified expression appeared on her face. "Oh God… oh my God!"

Deeks turned around to see what had got the girl so spooked but, as soon as he did, a heavy blow reached his face and it sent him to the ground. Stars danced in front of his eyes, so he blinked rapidly to get himself together.

"Aahhh, no! Let me go! Help!" Allison was screaming desperately while two masked men were pushing her towards a black van.

Deeks shook his head, pushing himself into a sitting position. As he saw what was happening, his instincts kicked in. Without thinking about the consequences and ignoring the pain in his leg, he launched himself against one of the masked men, the one that was checking the area. The bad guy didn't even realize what was going on and fell to the ground unconscious.

The blond teacher moved towards the guys who were holding Allison. Too bad they spotted him, vanishing the surprise effect. One of the two men took out a gun, shooting at Deeks who avoided a bullet out of pure luck. "Oh hell, this is not very fun, man, not at all!" He said, continuing to approach.

Before the masked man could shoot again, Deeks hit him using his walking stick like a bat, putting all of his strength in the gesture. Once again, the bad guy fell unconscious to the dusty ground.

The last masked man let go Allison and approached the teacher giving him no chance to react. He hit Deeks from behind.

Pain exploded at the back of the teacher's head and his vision blurred, but blindly and out of pure instinct of survival, he turned around, twirling the cane in the air. His lucky star was probably keeping an eye on him because the stick crashed on the bad guy who lost his hold on the gun.

"Son of a bitch!"

With a quick gesture, the masked man grabbed the cane and managed to break it, then launched himself against Deeks causing both of them to roll to the ground.

Allison was in shock and clearly terrified. She was watching the whole scene, unable to move a single muscle.

Meanwhile, the bad guy, using his greater amount of strength, punched the teacher in his stomach and then got up. As soon as he was standing, he kicked the struggling man on the ground, first on his side and then on his right knee.

Deeks screamed in pain while hot tears formed in his eyes. The agony was so intense, so overwhelming that blinded him and for long endless moments, he couldn't even breathe properly.

The masked man leaned towards him, grabbing him by his jacket, and pointed the gun he had just retrieved straight at the teacher's face. "You want to play the hero, well you will die as only a hero could die!"

The blond man was literally in hell, the pain radiating from his leg was simply excruciating, but he tried to fight it and his hand, unnoticed, started probing around, looking for something he could use as a weapon.

"Say goodbye to the world, son of a bitch!" The man said with his eyes sparkling behind the mask. He was ready to pull the trigger when he froze… "You… you bastard…" He looked horrified at the piece of cane protruding from his side. Unsteadily, he walked away, slowly moving to the van, leaving a writhing Deeks on the ground, struggling to stay awake because of the pain, panting heavily.

A light touch dragged him back to reality. "Mr. Deeks? Mr. Deeks are you all right?" Allison asked him, kneeling next to him and gently touching his shoulder.

"I'm good, Allison… you ok?" He murmured before a stabbing pain exploded in his leg. "Call… 911… I… I…" He couldn't finish the sentence. His world went black and he fell into oblivion.

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><p>"So, Sam and I are going to take a look around the crime scene, where the attempted kidnapping took place. You two go talk with the girl and her teacher who stopped the kidnappers." Callen instructed his team, staring at his teammates. "I have to say that this guy must have guts, especially to fight against three armed men."<p>

"And skills." Sam added. "You don't take down three armed men by chance."

"Maybe he is ex-military; this place is full of Navy's children, maybe some of the teachers were in the Army as well." Kensi explained. She had a strange feeling and she had it since the moment she heard about this story. She was a Marine brat herself and maybe she felt the connection with Allison McGregor. "Come on Jason, let's do our work."

Jason Price was the newest addition to the team. He was a nice guy, very quiet, ex-Marine himself, who could do his job without too many words. "On it!" He replied calmly, following his partner. He knew the moment he accepted the position on the team that he had heavy shoes to fill, but no one ever talked openly about the guy he replaced. His name had popped up during some conversations and immediately the mood in the room had changed drastically so he never brought the subject up. They would tell him when they were ready but he hoped that after almost three years, the team trusted him enough to open up with him.

The two agents walked side by side towards the ambulance where they spotted the tiny frame of Allison McGregor. She had a blanket over her shoulders but was shaking like a leaf, unable to stop.

Jason nodded to Kensi, silently telling her that he was giving her the honor to talk to the girl.

"Allison, hi," the female agent greeted her. "I'm Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS, and this is my partner, Agent Jason Price." She waited for the girl to look at her and then she continued. "Can we ask you some questions about what happened?"

Allison was still too shaken by the events of the morning but she forced herself to answer. "I... I saw them and I... I was terrified."

Kensi sat beside the girl, passing an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. "How many men did you see?"

"Three... they grabbed me and they tried to push me towards a van parked on the street." Allison continued.

"Did you recognize them? Have you see them somewhere else?" Jason intervened.

The girl shook her head, barely holding the tears. "They were wearing black ski masks and I was so afraid..."

"Did they have an accent or did they say something particular?" Kensi was trying to read the teenager's expression, to see if she was hiding something, but her terror was genuine. It was clear that she was not lying.

"How did you manage to escape? You said they were three and you..." Jason was interrupted by the girl's vehemence.

"What are you... no! If it wasn't for my teacher, they would have… they would have… I..." Allison couldn't hold the tears anymore and started sobbing.

Kensi guided her into her embrace, trying to calm her as much as she could. She was not exactly an expert in this field. "Where is your teacher now? We would like to talk to him, maybe he can tell us something more."

The girl wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Those men hurt him. He is in the other ambulance."

The two agents muttered a thank you and then slowly moved towards the other ambulance.

"Allison, what's the name of your teacher?" Jason asked as they were in front of the medical vehicle where a man was sitting on a stretcher holding an ice pack on the back of his head. His right leg was on the stretcher while the other one was dangling down.

Before Allison could answer the question, Kensi saw who the teacher was and exclaimed, "Deeks?"

A big grin appeared on Deeks' face as he saw his former partner. "Hey Kens..." He greeted her kindly while their eyes met for the first time after almost three years.

"What… what are you doing here?" She asked, trying to shake the surprise, the shock away.

"It's nice to see you too, Fern." The ex-cop was doing what he did better than anything, using humor to cover his emotions, and right now, all the feelings were almost overwhelming. He hadn't seen his former partner in three years and now, here she was, beautiful as ever, standing in front of him. "And for the record, I work here."

Jason observed the awkward scene. He never saw Kensi like this and in the last two years he had seen her in the most complicated and toughest situations. At the moment, she was a ticking bomb, ready to explode. He cast a glance at the man on the stretcher and he had to admit that he was nothing like he had pictured Detective Marty Deeks to be. The shaggy hair, the scruffy beard, the mischievous grin, none of these traits screamed the word cop. "I'm Agent Jason Price," he finally introduced himself, breaking the thick tension lingering in the air.

Deeks took his eyes away from Kensi and shook the hand the other man offered him. "Nice to meet you, Agent Price." He smiled, noticing how different the agent was compared to himself. "So, how long have you been Kensi's partner?"

Jason stared at the other man, liking his attitude and his kind smile. He could feel that there was no malice or animosity in the question. "Two years, give or take."

"Wow, you must be really good if she hasn't killed you yet!" The ex-cop grinned from ear to ear.

"Deeks!" Kensi shouted, getting ready to punch him in his shoulder as she used to do a lot when they were partners, but she remembered that he was injured and that she didn't know the extent of his injuries. Her expression became serious and worried and she was unable to hide her concern. "How are you feeling?" She wondered, moving closer to him to study his bruised face. She was fighting the sudden urge to touch him, to brush his hair away from his face. Three years… she couldn't believe that it had been so long. God, she had missed him and she hadn't realized how much until a few moments ago.

"I'm good, Kens, just some bumps and bruises here and there," Deeks said with a smile on his lips, hoping that she didn't see through his lie. In fact, he was in agony. His knee was giving him nightmares and the pain was simply excruciating.

Kensi's eyes landed on his leg and a wave of guilt contorted her stomach, turning it upside down. He was doing his best to hide it, but his discomfort was written in his eyes and she could still read them very well. "Deeks, I…" She started but a voice screaming and yelling, coming from behind them, interrupted her.

"Ally, oh dear God!" A man shouted, running towards the ambulance Allison was sitting on and hugging the girl tightly. "Are you ok, sweetie?" He asked gently, caressing her head.

"Yes dad, I'm fine, but it was so scary. I… I was terrified. I thought they were going to take me. If it wasn't for Mr. Deeks', I wouldn't be here now." The girl indicated to her teacher.

"Can you give me a moment?" The man broke the embrace with his daughter, cupping her face, receiving a nod as an answer. He then closed the distance between the two ambulances, stopping in front of the injured teacher. "Mr. Deeks, I'm Peter McGregor and I don't have enough words to thank you for saving my daughter. Please, if you need anything, you have only to ask."

Deeks was a bit embarrassed by the attention, so once again, he used his humor to deflect the tension. "You don't by chance have a new walking stick, do you? Mine sadly met its maker…" He showed the part of the cane that he managed to save and that he didn't use against the bad guys.

McGregor stared at him and at the two people next to him. His lips curled into a wide smile. "I'll see what I can do." Then, becoming serious he added, "I hope you're not that hurt…"

"Don't worry, I've had worse." The ex-cop said with a voice that couldn't hide a good dose of sadness and regret.

Kensi didn't miss it so she decided to intervene. "Captain McGregor, I am Special Agent Kensi Blye, NCIS, and this is my partner Agent Jason Price. Do you have an idea why someone might want to kidnap your daughter?"

Peter McGregor looked at her with eyes wide open, moving his attention from Deeks. He was silently telling the NCIS agents that it was not wise to talk about this matter in front of a civilian.

The female agent chuckled with herself. It was so natural for her to discuss cases with Deeks that she hadn't even realized she was doing it again, only this time Deeks was not her partner. Old habits were hard to kill. "Don't worry, Deeks was a LAPD Detective and he worked as a liaison officer with NCIS for almost six years. You can talk freely in front of him."

The ex-cop felt a sense of pride and was very pleased with her reaction.

"I am working on a secret project, I can't tell you much about it since I don't know what kind of level of clearance you have, but this is not important at the moment." McGregor paused and let the agents digest what he just said. "What you need to know is that a lot of people would pay a big amount of money to get their hands on it, that's for sure."

"Have you received any threats, warnings, anything that could lead to what happened this morning?" Jason asked, trying to be very delicate and not too aggressive.

"No, of course no! I would never risk Allison or my wife's life! If I knew I…" The man stopped, burying his face in his hands. "Oh my God, it's my fault… it's all my fault!" Realization of what really happened hit him like a running train.

"Captain, don't worry, we're going to put you and your family under protection while we try to find the people responsible for all of this." Kensi felt very sorry for the man who was really on the verge of a nerve crisis. "Deeks, what can you tell us about those men?" She moved her attention to her ex-partner, knowing that he might have caught some important details.

Deeks stared intently at her eyes then he took a long deep breath. "Three men that were well trained. They were wearing ski masks and carried heavy guns. No particular accent. They looked American. I banged out the first two using the surprise factor, but the third one was a bit rougher. He'll need a doctor because I stabbed him with my walking stick or with a part of it, then I passed out and when I woke up, they were gone along with their black van."

Kensi's heart was beating madly in her chest from hearing what her former partner was telling her. He had been brave; fighting against three armed and trained bad guys while he was only carrying a walking stick. "You know you could have been killed? Damn it, Deeks, what the hell were you thinking?" She almost screamed angrily.

The ex-cop chuckled, slightly shaking his head. "Wow, you still worry." He murmured pleased.

"Of course I worry, you idiot! You're my partner, Deeks!" She immediately realized her mistake so she rushed to correct herself. "You… were my partner… you're my… friend…"

Deeks tilted his head, furrowing his brows, finding her even more adorable than usual.

Jason observed the awkward exchange and decided to intervene to save his partner further embarrassment. "Did you catch the plate of the van?"

"Not entirely, just the last three letters Z-O-R," The teacher's eyes never left Kensi's.

"Excuse me, I'll go call Eric and see what he can find out about the van." Price moved away from the ambulance, taking out his phone and dialing OPS.

"Say hi for me." Deeks told him, unable to take his attention away from his ex-partner.

"Mr. Deeks, I really don't know what to do to repay you for what you did, for saving Allison." McGregor said as he guided his daughter along with him towards the ambulance.

"It's ok, Mr. McGregor, I just did what anyone would have done."

"No dad, Mr. Deeks risked his life, that… that man was ready to shoot him. I thought that he… that…" Allison couldn't go on and burst out crying in her father's arms.

Kensi's eyes widened after hearing those words, realizing how close to death Deeks had been. She was ready to scold him when a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Well, well, well, isn't this a sight for my sore eyes?" Callen said approaching the small group.

Deeks' expression brightened and his lips curled into a smile. "Hey Callen."

Sam placed his big hand behind the ex-cop's neck in his brotherly, affectionate way. "How are you, Deeks? You ok?"

"I'm good, Sam. Thank you."

The ex-Seal cast a glance at Deeks' knee and narrowed his eyes. "You're good, really? Who do you think you're talking to?" He asked ironically as his expression softened.

Jason chose that moment to come back and couldn't hide his surprise at the familiarity among the three men. In two and half years, the two older men never did anything resembling what they had just done with the blond man. "Eric is looking for the van. He will call us as soon as he has something." He reported quietly, then he added talking to Deeks, "Eric said hi back while Nell threatened you to call and tell her how you're doing."

The ex-cop cast a questioning stare at Callen who smiled. "She's become a little bossy lately."

"More than she already was? Wow… a mini-Hetty is born!" The blond ex-cop stated jokingly.

"Oh man, you don't even know how right you are!" Sam replied grinning, then his expression changed, becoming serious. "What did the paramedics say?" Once again his eyes stopped on his friend's knee and on his pained, pale face. "And don't you dare tell me that they said you're ok, because no one here believes it."

Deeks wanted to give him a witty remark but as soon as he tried to shift his position on the stretcher, an excruciating pain exploded in his knee and he had to hold it tightly, attempting to make it go away.

Kensi's stomach contorted watching the whole scene, feeling even guiltier than she already felt. Her first instinct was to rush to his side and hold his hand to soothe his pain while making slow circles on his back.

"They said…" The former cop panted to regain some composure. "…that I probably need a little trip to the hospital."

"Like we didn't know it already…" Callen said sarcastically.

Deeks bowed his head, defeated. "It seems that the braces moved, causing further damage to my knee and hurting it in the process."

"Bad?" Sam asked, his hand never leaving his friend's neck.

"Bad enough, but it could have been worse." The sadness coming from the ex-cop's voice almost broke Kensi's heart.

"Ok then, Sam and I will take Captain McGregor and his daughter to the boatshed. Jason, you go to their house and ask Mrs. McGregor to come with you. Remember, don't use the phone just in case their line is under surveillance." Callen paused, staring at Kensi first and then at Deeks. He knew that he was taking a risk, but those idiots needed a push. "Kensi, you go with Deeks to the hospital and then join us in Ops."

"But Callen, I…" She tried to protest.

"No buts, Kens. And I can make it an order if you prefer." The team leader told her firmly.

"Hey, aren't you happy to spend time with your hot ex-partner?" Deeks knew that he was pushing his luck, but he didn't know what else to do. The situation was, in fact, complicated for him as well.

"Shut up, Deeks, or I'll shoot you!" She replied coldly, making Sam and Callen laugh out loud.

"Oh man, I never imagined I'd say it, but I missed this!" Sam was not able to stop himself from smiling.

"What? Are you kidding me? She threatened to shoot me and you said you missed it? You're wounding me here Sam!"

"Shut up, Deeks!" The ex-Seal almost shouted but his expression and his eyes were calm and happy. "You know we missed you."

Deeks watched them leave, then his blue eyes landed on Kensi. "So, it's you and me, Kensalina. Just like the old times…"

She studied him, then snapped. "Nothing is like the old times!" And with that, she walked away, leaving behind a stunned Deeks trying to process what happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you very much for your response to the first chapter. I truly appreciate it.

Time for an update. As always I need to thank purecraziness for her help.

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><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 2<p>

After a few, exhausting phone calls, Deeks convinced the paramedics that he needed to go to Pacific Medical Hospital where there were doctors and nurses who knew him very well and how to treat his knee in the best way possible.

Kensi offered to drive him there in spite of the paramedics' protests, but in the end, every argument disappeared after Hetty's intervention. She had alerted Dr. Young, who was already waiting for his patient's arrival.

"How are you doing back there?" Kensi asked Deeks, looking at him from the rear-view mirror. The paramedics had insisted that at least he kept his leg lifted so sitting in the back of the car had been the obvious option.

"Your driving style hasn't improved, Kensalina! It seems you find pleasure in hitting every bump on the road." The ex-cop muttered a reply, grinding his teeth to hide the excruciating pain.

Her eyes were locked on him through the mirror and she could clearly see what he was doing. Once again, he was using his humor to deflect his real feelings and in this case, he was doing it to hide the clear discomfort. "Cut the crap, Deeks, and tell me how you're really doing!" She insisted, determined to get an honest answer.

Deeks winced as the car hit another bump and he had to shut his eyes to fight the pain. "You don't give up, do you?" He took a long deep breath before continuing. "It hurts like hell." He finally admitted with a feeble voice that knotted Kensi's stomach. He looked so child-like, so hopeless.

"I… I'm sorry," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"Not your fault, Kens. Stop feeling guilty." He ground his teeth while talking. "But if you managed to avoid other bumps on the road, I'd be forever grateful."

"That bad?" Kensi wondered, already knowing the answer.

"Let's just say that I've been better," he started, taking an intake of air. "But I've been worse." The teacher added softly.

Her eyes looked for his through the rear-view mirror and for a moment they met. They silently stared at each other, something they had both missed terribly.

"You should stop, Kensi, for real. You know it wasn't your fault. It… happened, it was just fate." Deeks nervously played with his tongue as his voice came out sweet and caring.

Kensi wanted to kill him in that moment because he had used that mellow tone she couldn't resist, but at the same time, she only wanted to hug him. "It shouldn't have happened though. I know it, you know it… everyone knows it!"

He bowed his head, looking at his leg and sighed. "It doesn't matter anymore. I moved on and you should do the same. I… I have a good job, I can still surf, and I'm… here. It's enough."

"But it's not right and it's not… the same, Deeks. We are not the same anymore. We were friends and…" She realized that she was walking into dangerous territory, talking about personal feelings, so she stopped, thinking about what she could tell him. "We were a family and right now, we all miss one of our own."

"Is this your weird way of telling me that you missed me?" The ex-cop asked in a mix of sadness and amusement.

"No, I mean… it's not that. It's Sam and Callen and… oh damn it, Deeks! Yes, I missed you! I missed you a lot!" She admitted, clearly frustrated because of his perceptiveness.

"I missed you too, Kensi." Deeks told her, his words even softer than before.

Kensi was going to reply when the silhouette of Pacific Medical Hospital appeared in front of them. "We're at the hospital."

He couldn't take his eyes away from her hypnotic gaze. "Good." He managed to murmur. "I bet Dr. Young is already waiting for me. And man, he's going to kill me!"

A little smile escaped from her lips as she heard those words. "No one is going to kill you. That's a privilege reserved only to me."

Deeks couldn't help but stare at her. God, he had missed her and their bantering. How was he able to stay away from her for so long? The car stopped abruptly, taking him away from his thoughts.

Kensi jumped out of it, opening the rear passenger door. "Do you need me to call for help or to look for a wheelchair?" She asked with concern clearly writer on her face.

The ex-cop simply shook his head, stubbornly. "Just give me a hand, I can walk inside."

"But the paramedics said that it's better to leave the leg lifted…"

"I said I could walk!" He snapped, raising his voice with a hint of anger that he immediately regretted. "Just help me, ok? Please."

She sighed heavily, doing what he asked her. She could feel his body shaking and his heart beating madly. Kensi was suddenly uneasy because of the closeness of his body, of his arm on her shoulders, of his breath on her temple. She was sure that her own heart had skipped some beats. "Calm down," she thought, trying to forget how close they were. "How are you doing?"

He didn't answer, too focused on limping; every step was pure agony. Not only he was in pain, but also having Kensi literally in his arms, feeling her body brush his, sent an electrical discharge through his system.

Deeks wanted to reply to her question, but talking was too much effort right now, so he silently kept walking.

The NCIS agent realized how difficult the whole process was for him, so she didn't say anything that could hurt his pride.

It took them a lifetime, but they finally managed to get inside. Deeks could barely stand and move fast, but in the end they stepped through the sliding doors.

"We need help!" Kensi shouted and in a blink of an eye, a couple of nurses approached them, one pushing a wheelchair.

"What happened?" the other one asked worriedly, casting a wary glance at the ex-cop's obviously injured leg.

"I think Dr.…" Deeks started but was interrupted by the arrival of another nurse.

"Marty!" She exclaimed in a scolding tone. She was in her early fifties, with blond hair, and she was still very good looking. Her green eyes studied him intently.

"Nice to see you, Francine." He replied cunningly, but looking a bit guilty.

"I thought that we had an agreement, young man." Francine told him, positioning herself behind the wheelchair and pushing it.

"I know, I was not supposed to show up before my annual check-up, but it wasn't my fault. I swear!"

"Oh shut up, young man! Dr. Young is waiting for you." The nurse cast a glance at the brunette standing next to her patient. "You can go now. We'll take care of him from here."

Deeks decided it was better to intervene and make the proper introduction. "Francine, this is Special Agent Kensi Blye."

Francine looked first at Kensi, frowning, and then at the former detective. "Is she…?"

"Yes," he cut her short. "Kensi, this is Francine, my guardian angel and Dr. Young's most valued assistant."

Kensi noticed the older woman's scrutinizing stare. It was like the nurse was studying her. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh no, don't worry. I'm just glad I can give a face to a name I've heard hundreds of times!" Francine said, smiling gently.

The NCIS agent was even more puzzled now and moved her attention to Deeks who bowed his head guiltily.

"Can we go before this situation gets even more awkward that it already is?" The ex-cop muttered, clearly embarrassed. "Not to mention that my knee is killing me."

The nurse guided the wheelchair towards the elevator and passing by Kensi, she lightly touched her arm. "Come with us, please. He will never admit it, but Marty will be very glad to have you around. And according to what I've heard and according to the pain he is in and trying to hide, he might need a friendly face." The older woman whispered so her patient couldn't hear her.

The agent was taken aback, completely surprised by the request, but nodded and followed the others.

The elevator quickly took them to the fifth floor and as they suspected, Dr. Brian Young was waiting for them, looking concerned. He was a young man, around Deeks' age, with short blond hair and kind hazel eyes.

"Hello doc." The former detective greeted him with a grimace on his face. In spite of the bantering, jokes, and witty remarks, he was in a great deal of pain; his knee was literally giving him nightmares.

"I can't say that I'm happy to see you, Marty." The doctor told him, tilting his head to one side.

Francine nodded to Dr. Young, beckoning to indicate Kensi. "Dr. Young, this is Special Agent Kensi Blye."

Young lifted his eyebrows and cast an interrogative glance at Deeks, then, smiling, he turned to face Kensi. "Nice to meet you." He offered his hand to shake.

Kensi firmly took it, smiling back. Her eyes landed on her ex-partner, questioningly, but he didn't say anything and simply shook his head.

The doctor smirked at the cute scene, remembering all the times his patient had talked passionately about this woman he was still clearly madly in love with, but he was there to do his job and he was going to do it professionally. "Now, why don't we take a look at the damage you managed to do to your knee and to my amazing work?"

Deeks couldn't help but feel a bit responsible, well mostly like an idiot. Dr. Young and his staff had spent a lot of time to save his leg and to put him on his feet after what happened to him. The idea that all of their work would be wasted knotted his stomach. He took a long breath, trying not to think about the worst, telling himself that at least it had been worth it because he saved Allison's life. It didn't seem to work great though.

They all moved inside the doctor's examination room and Deeks was helped on a gurney.

The sudden change of position was just another abuse to the ex-cop's injured leg and this time he couldn't suppress a loud cry. Deeks cringed, hissing, shutting his eyes and panting heavily.

Kensi's heart sank from hearing the horrifying sound. It was her fault… everything happened because of her. A tear rolled down her cheek as she listened to the doctor talk, but her mind started wandering.

* * *

><p><em>Three years ago...<em>

"Kensi, no!" Deeks almost shouted, grabbing her wrist, trying to stop her from opening the door of the car. "It's not safe and you know it! The place is covered by cameras, they will spot us as soon as we put a foot out of this car, not to mention that there are at least twelve heavily armed bad guys in there against just the two of us!"

"But it's our only chance. We can place some bugs and finally find out what Sherman is planning. If we wait, it will be too late." Kensi protested, locking her mismatched eyes on Deeks' blue ones. Her whole body vibrated with fierce determination, making her appear even more beautiful in his eyes.

"It's still too dangerous." The cop said as his voice lowered. "Let's wait for Sam and Callen at least. They are on their way with a tactical team and they are not very far, at the moment."

"Deeks, you know it better than me that there's no time left. Sherman will finish his deal and we will never know where he is keeping the little girl. If we don't place the bugs now, we will lose our only chance to find her!" Her voice trembled and her eyes begged him to listen to her.

Deeks sighed heavily, releasing his grip on her wrist. "I want you to make a note that I understand this but that I don't agree with it, not at all. At the same time, I am your partner and as your partner, it's my job to have your back. Where you go, I go."

Kensi smiled, tilting her head, looking at him. She knew that he always put her safety on top of everything, but seeing him show it so openly, even if he didn't agree with her intention, filled her heart with warmth. "Ok," she simply said in a mix of embarrassment and pride.

"But, if we see that things are going to go south, we leave in a rush, ok?" The cop looked at her with his blue eyes locked on hers. His expression might be relaxed and calm, but he was deadly serious. "And I don't want to hear any complaints about it."

She bumped his shoulder with hers, playfully, trying to dissipate the tension that was slowly engulfing them. "And I won't give you the chance to hear me complain."

"That's my girl!"

"Your what?" She narrowed her eyes, a little taken aback by his affirmation.

"My partner, who is a girl… a smoking hot girl actually, but well… you… you know what I mean…" He babbled, bringing his hand to his lips nervously and turning his face away. He knew that he was still walking on a minefield. He and Kensi were dangerously getting closer, but neither of them had had the courage to make a move yet. They knew that they had a thing, that they cared about each other deeply, but they were probably both scared to lose what they had. They worked together and their job was very dangerous; having someone they trusted to watch each other's back was important, what if they got too close and their emotions influenced their judgment during a delicate moment in their job? They couldn't risk each other's life, because they would both be devastated if something happened to one of them.

The brunette could only smile while watching her partner grasp at straws, he was cute when he did that and mostly he was calming her. It was weird how easily Deeks could put a smile on her face, just with a simple word, with a goofy grin or childish behavior, but she wouldn't change a single bit of it. "If you are finished, what do you think about us going inside and doing our job?"

"Since I haven't managed to change your mind, I think we better do it. Get rid of the cause and you get rid of the problem…" He proclaimed with theatrical emphasis.

"Idiot!" Kensi shook her head and without thinking twice, she got out of the car, soon followed by her partner who was already holding his gun in his hand. She mirrored his action, running towards the building, careful to not be seen through surveillance cameras.

They stopped next to the back door. Kensi cast a gaze at Deeks and counted to three with her fingers, then she opened the door. The cop stepped through it first, his gun aimed at an invisible enemy and when he was sure that the air was clear, he signaled his partner to come inside.

They moved carefully, watching each other's back and keeping an eye for suspect movements.

The cop tapped his partner's shoulder, silently indicating an area where a group of people was gathered and clearly plotting something. He didn't know why, but he had the feeling that something was going to happen. Instinctively, he took a step closer to Kensi as he wanted to protect her.

The brunette cast a glance at the scene her partner had indicated and felt the sudden change in his posture, in his position. He had moved closer and this made her feel uneasy, not for his protectiveness, but because she trusted his instinct. If he was suspicious about something, she would be as well. "We need to place the bugs." She whispered, keeping her voice as low as she could.

Deeks nodded gravely, taking a long, deep breath. He didn't like it, not a single bit. They had managed to sneak inside too easily and where were all of those armed men they saw before? "I don't like it…" He muttered.

"You have said it before, but now we're here and we're going to do what we came here to do. Then when we get out of here, you can buy me a drink." She replied, smiling, hoping to ease the tension written on his face.

They walked towards their suspects, finding cover behind crates that were scattered all around, and their eyes clearly recognized Frank Sherman. Their fingers instinctively danced on the triggers of their guns.

The cop nervously bit his lower lip, narrowing his eyes to see what was going to happen, hoping to hear what the men were talking about. It was then that he noticed that something was off. The men were smiling broadly, like they were playing a part, like they were acting… and then it happened.

Sherman's eyes crossed with his and he knew that they had been played. Deeks tried to alert Kensi but felt a presence behind him and heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.

"I wouldn't move a single step if I was you." A deep voice told him from behind. "And you better put your gun down."

The cop watched as his partner was manhandled and pushed towards Sherman and his friends.

Kensi wriggled to try to get away from the tight grip of the man who was holding her, but in vain. The hand clutching at her arm was strong and clenched it like a vice. She turned around to see where her partner was and was relieved that he was unharmed and pushed next to her. As they were brought in the open, they were forced on their knees and one of their captors zip tied their hands behind their backs.

Frank Sherman appeared in front of them, wearing his expensive suit and a devilish grin. His grey eyes were cold as ice. "Well, well, well, I thought you weren't so stupid to walk into my warehouse, but you did it… now you are going to answer my questions." He paused, smirking cunningly. "And I want answers."

"And what if we are not so willing to answer?" The cop replied, smiling ironically.

The man leaned towards him, yanking his head to one side. "Oh trust me, you will answer…" With a rapid and sudden move, he backhanded his captive, who couldn't hold a grunt.

* * *

><p>A muffled cry brought Kensi back to reality.<p>

"Damn it, doc! Your manners didn't improve!" Deeks grunted as Dr. Young was checking on his knee, working on the braces holding it together.

"And yours as well, you still complain like a kid!" The doctor said playfully, trying to distract his patient from the painful maneuver he was performing.

"You would complain too if it was your knee that was butchered!" The ex-cop ground his teeth, closing his eyes. He was in hell, a real hell. Fortunately, he had forgotten this kind of pain and frankly he hadn't missed it at all.

Kensi cringed. She could read Deeks' expression, the agony was clearly written all over his face even if he tried to hide it as much as he could, obviously with poor results. She braced, shivering, just thinking about what he was going through and once again, her stomach knotted thinking about the reason why all of this was happening.

A light touch on her shoulder shook her from her almost catatonic state.

"He needs you." Francine, the nurse, told her, smiling at her kindly.

The brunette looked at her like she was crazy, her mismatched eyes opened widely. "I don't think so… he needs a friend and I am far from being one right now."

"Trust me, he needs you. I have come to know him pretty well and believe me, all he could talk about was you. You would be surprised to know how many things he told me about you…" The older woman held her hand, squeezing it gently. "…and that's the reason, I know that all he needs right now, is you. Go." She gently pushed the agent, who hesitantly moved a few steps towards her friend.

Kensi approached the gurney Deeks was laying on and without thinking twice, she took his hand in hers.

The ex-cop was more than surprised at first, but then, his body started to relax a little, as he tried to focus on her, on her face, on her eyes he had missed so much.

"Dr. Young is right, Deeks." She started, entangling her fingers with his even more. "You're whining like a baby. Maybe I should take a video and send it to Callen and Sam."

"You wouldn't dare!" Deeks muttered, hissing when a particularly taxing movement of his knee almost took his breath away, but his blue eyes were locked on his former partner.

She grinned devilishly, lifting her eyebrows like she was challenging him. In the process, her gaze crossed to the doctor, who nodded at her gratefully, thanking her for the distraction she was providing to his patient. "You know I would." She pretended to take out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans.

"Kensi, no… you are not…. Aaarrggghhh, Damn it…." The blond teacher cursed, shifting in bed and arching his back because of the sudden pain. "That freaking hurts!" He muttered, panting heavily as he held Kensi's hand like it was his lifesaver.

Dr. Young's face became very serious as he moved a step away from his patient, passing a hand over his concerned face.

"Ok, doc…" Deeks said, still trying to regain control of his breath and of his shaking body. "What's the verdict?"

The doctor cast a worried glance at Francine, who sighed heavily, and then he moved his attention to his patient. "Look, Marty, the situation is not as serious as you think and it won't worsen your normal situation…"

"Oh come on, doc, you know me too well to give me this crap. Go straight to the point!"

Kensi placed a hand on her friend's shoulder as he spoke, hoping to calm him down. She could feel him trembling under her touch.

"Ok, you're right. I have to take off the braces and apply new ones since these ones can't be repaired, but to do so, I have to put you to sleep because the broken braces have pierced the skin… tore into the flesh… I tried to take it off manually, but the only way to do it, without causing you further pain, is surgically." The doctor explained clearly and softly, knowing how much all of this might affect his patient.

"And… how long will it take for me to be back on my feet? If I will ever be on my feet..." There was such a sorrowful note in Deeks' voice that it almost broke Kensi's heart.

She had always hated when he spoke with that tone and now more than ever. She couldn't stand seeing him sad or in pain. "Deeks…" She felt his hand wriggle from her grip and a new knot clenched her stomach, contorting it.

"There's no need to be so negative, Marty. Once you recover from the surgery, you will be as good as new…" Dr. Young stated, silently scolding his patient for his lack of hope.

The ex-cop seemed to relax a little at the doctor's words. Dr. Young had always been very honest with him, he never gave him false hope, telling him exactly what he was going to face. Deeks didn't have any reason to doubt him. "And how long will recovery be this time?"

"Two to three weeks, possibly four if there are unforeseen events, which I doubt will happen. It's a relatively easy procedure, just a bit painful…"

"Damn it!" The blond man cursed, slamming his fists on the mattress. "Isn't there anything you can do to fasten the process? You know how much I hate this…"

The doctor sighed heavily, once again looking at Francine, who shook her head vehemently this time. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "There is a way, but… I warmly suggest you not to take it in consideration."

"Tell me!" Deeks said firmly, straightening up in bed, there was a determined tone in his voice, but at the same time a light tremble.

"Marty, you heard what the doctor said. Just go with the surgery…" The nurse moved closer to him, motherly stroking his hair.

"Oh hell, Francine, you know me. You know how much I hate being unable to move, to be… to be…"

"Hey, it's because I know you, that I would prefer that you take the surgery as an option." Francine insisted, firmly.

He didn't seem to listen though. "Come on, doc, tell me what's the other option."

Kensi studied her former partner's expression intently. She knew it very well, the sheer determination and stubbornness that darkened his ocean blue eyes, the way his lip twitched and he played with his tongue… she didn't need to wait for him to talk. She knew already that he would have taken any other option over the surgery. And she didn't blame him. In his situation, she probably would do the same.

"So?" Deeks insisted, still waiting for a reply from Dr. Young.

The doctor took a long breath, knowing that it was hard to convince his patient when he had something in his mind. It was what had saved him and his leg during the long months of his recovery after the incident. "I can remove the braces, right here, right now… all I can give you is a local anesthetic, to partially numb your knee. I am not going to lie to you though, it will hurt like hell. The damaged braces are pressing on tendons and nerves, you felt how painful it was when I simply touched it… Just imagine if I have to…"

"What about the recovery? How long will it take me to be on my feet?" The ex-cop insisted, interrupting the doctor.

"If everything goes according to plan, you will be able to walk as you did before this little inconvenience, in a couple of days, a week maximum… you will need crutches in the meantime but…"

"Do it…" Deeks said firmly.

"But Marty, you heard what…" Francine started but she was rewarded with a cold stance, something she had never seen in the young man's eyes.

"Are you sure? It will be extremely painful." Dr. Young wanted to be sure that his patient understood what was going to happen.

"I said do it." The ex-detective looked at Kensi, like he was asking for her opinion.

She stared deeply into his eyes, then nodded gravely. "Do it, Dr. Young."

A smile brightened Deeks' expression at Kensi's words, he had hoped that she would understand and well, she did. They still had it, that form of silent communication where they could read each other thoughts by just looking at each other's eyes or at their body language. "Thank you." He whispered, stretching his hand to look for hers.

She took it, holding it tightly.

"Ok, if this is what you want, I can't object…" The doctor closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. It was going to be difficult even for him. He didn't like to cause pain to his patients, especially to this one, who suffered already enough in the past. "Kensi, do you mind waiting outside? I can understand that you might want to stay but it's technically impossible."

The brunette squeezed her former partner's hand and instinctively, without thinking twice, kissed his forehead. "I'll be waiting for you outside, but I will be with you every step of the way. Even if you don't see me, I'll be here with you."

Deeks' lips curled into a soft grin as he remembered when he had told her the same exact words. "See you on the other side, Kens…"

Kensi felt a cold shiver running down her spine at his use of the shortened version of her name, something that, coming from him, had always made her feel good, made her feel special. "Don't be gone too long." She placed another kiss, on his cheek this time, and then walked out of the room.

An electrical discharge coursed through the ex-cop's body when her lips touched his skin. Reluctantly, he watched her walk away. "Come on, doc. Do your job…" He braced himself for what was coming next, but nothing could prepare him for the pain that was about to grip his whole body.

Kensi was sitting outside when the piercing screams reached her ears. Tears rolled down her cheeks… she wanted to run away, far from here, forgetting about everything that was happening inside the room, forgetting about the fact that it was her fault, that all the pain Deeks was going through, was her responsibility.


	3. Chapter 3

Once again, I can only thank you all for reading this story and for your opinions. I truly appreciate every one of them.

Of course this story wouldn't be the same without purecraziness hard job on it, so thanks girl for keeping up with me.

* * *

><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 3<p>

_Three Years ago_

A punch reached her stomach, making her double over and taking the air out of her lungs. Kensi was sure that if two men were not holding her, she would have fallen to the ground in a heap. She was in pain, she could feel the blood pouring from her nose and taste it in her mouth as well. According to how many times the man had hit her, she would probably have a good amount of bruises.

She cast a furtive glance at her partner and saw that he was not doing any better than her, actually Sherman didn't go that easy on him either. One of Deeks' eyes was swollen and was barely open, a deep gash adorned his forehead, and blood was covering part of his face. In spite of the fact that his chin was resting on his chest, Kensi could see that his lip was badly split.

"Ok, I am going to ask you one more time, who are you and what the hell were you looking for here?" Frank Sherman asked for the hundredth time, leaning towards the woman, lifting her chin up.

Kensi was happy that they had managed to hide their badges in the secret stash under her seat in the car, at least the man didn't know who they were. If Sherman was aware that they were federal agents, they would already be dead by this point. Now they only had to gain themselves some time, to wait for Callen, Sam, and the tactical team to arrive and get them out of this situation.

When he didn't get the answer he wanted, the man slapped her again, sending her on the verge of consciousness. Without losing his calmness, Sherman grabbed her hair and forced her to look at him. "So, are you going to talk now?"

The brunette, using all of her energy, tried to get rid of him, staring at him defiantly. "Go to hell!"

The man was getting ready to punch her again, when something made him stop.

"Stop!" Deeks said weakly, but firmly, as he struggled to wriggle from the hold of the men keeping him steady. "You know you won't get anything out of us if you beat us to pulp." He was trying to make eye contact with his partner, needing to see how she was doing.

The cop was probably too exhausted and worn out, because his gaze gave his emotions away. A devilish grin appeared on Frank's face as his grey eyes sparkled in expectation. Maybe he had found a way to crack his captives who seemed to care a big deal about each other. He could use their weakness in his favor. He started circling around them, debating on how he could play this hand. Passing by Kensi, his fingers brushed her hair… and a cunning smile curled his lips.

He moved in front of her, forcefully yanking her head and tilting it to one side. "Tell me, sweetie… who are you? What do you want from me?" He heard her moan because the strength he was putting in his gesture caused her pain.

"I've… got… nothing to… tell you…" She managed to reply, as she locked her eyes on Deeks, who was struggling and wriggling, attempting to do something to help her.

"Well, if that is your final answer, don't tell me I didn't warn you!" Sherman beckoned at one of his men holding the cop who walked away just to return a second later.

Kensi watched in horror as the man returned and placed a plastic bag on her partner's head, pressing it on his face. "Deeks!"

Deeks didn't expect this. Suddenly, he felt something pressing on his face and he immediately found that he couldn't breathe. He tried to get himself free, but in vain.

"Are you willing to change your mind, sweetheart?" Sherman asked Kensi, forcing her to look at her struggling partner as the man was suffocating him.

She was in shock and didn't know how to react.

The plastic bag was removed from the cop's pained face. He started coughing and panting, attempting to get some precious air, but the little break didn't last long.

As soon as Kensi didn't give him the answer he wanted to hear, Sherman sent a little gesture to his man, who put the plastic bag back on Deeks' face.

The cop was even weaker now, everything hurt and he couldn't breathe. Air… he needed air… After endless minutes, he was freed again. Leaving him even more out of air.

"You know what you have to do to stop all of this, sweetie. Answer my question and I will let you both live!"

"No," Deeks said, panting and coughing. "You know that… he will…" He couldn't finish the sentence because once again, the plastic bag was placed on his face.

"NO!" Kensi screamed desperately, knowing that her partner couldn't resist this treatment any longer. "No, please stop!"

Sherman's thug released the cop, who once again couldn't do anything else other than cough and desperately look for air.

"I'm waiting sweetie…" The boss grabbed the female agent's chin, putting pressure on it.

Her eyes moved towards her partner… she knew that he was at the end of his rope, but on the other hand, she was aware that they should hold on a little while longer because their friends were on their way. She saw Deeks stare almost blankly at her as he panted and coughed, unable to breathe.

"Tell me!" Sherman yelled, his voice was cold as ice but he hadn't lost his composure. He was deadly calm, a clear sign that he was more than simply dangerous.

"No…" The cop whispered in a tiny voice, barely audible.

"Deeks…" Kensi's eyes watered. She wanted to save him from further pain and to do so she had to tell Sherman what he wanted to know, but her partner was asking, almost begging, to not reveal anything. She understood why he was doing it. Once the man knew who they were, he would kill them without even blinking. Their only chance was to hold on a little while longer. "I… I'm sorry…" She murmured to him, unable to stop the tears.

Deeks gave her a faint smile before falling on the floor when the two goons let him go. For a single second he was relieved, although his relief didn't last long.

The boss moved towards him, stepping on his right ankle with his foot. With a theatrically slow gesture, he took out his gun and pointed it at the detective's kneecap.

The brunette's face whitened, realizing what he wanted to do. "No, no… no…" She literally begged.

"Last call, sweetie…" Sherman told her without even looking at the cop.

"It's ok, Kens… it's ok…" Deeks' eyes were locked on his partner's while he talked to her in a reassuring tone.

"I'm… sorry… I'm so sorry…" She cried out when the sound of gunshot echoed in the warehouse. "NO!"

Her scream mixed with her partner's pained howl as the bullet shattered his kneecap. He rolled on the floor, crying out, unable to stop the excruciating agony.

Mercilessly, Sherman increased the pressure on the cop's ankle, placing the barrel of his gun on Deeks' bleeding knee once again. "Do you really think I wouldn't do it? I don't give a damn about him anymore. A hole or two won't change a thing for me, but I bet it's very different for you… or for him…" He paused, letting his words sink in the agent's mind. "Tell me. What. I. Want. To. Know."

Kensi closed her eyes, she couldn't stand seeing her partner, her best friend, the man who probably meant the most to her, contorted in pain. She knew what was coming… and she couldn't watch it.

"It's… gonna… be… fine…" Deeks barely managed to say. He was in hell, the pain was simply excruciating, but he had to reassure his partner, he had to tell her that he was ok with this and that he understood. "Aaaaarrrrggghhh!" He screamed after another gunshot echoed in the air.

It was then that a great commotion erupted in the warehouse. Bullets ricocheted in the air, gunshots exploded, men fell to the floor or surrendered. The cavalry was here, finally… but sadly it was too late.

Freed from the tight grip of one of her captors, Kensi crawled towards her partner. Tears were rolling down her cheeks at the sight of his leg sprawled out at an awkward angle and all of the blood soaking his jeans. "Deeks…" She whispered softly, leaning her forehead over his chest since she couldn't reach him since her hands were still tied behind her back, but he didn't answer, too lost in his world of agony. "I'm sorry, Deeks… I am so sorry…" She added before the world went black and she fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>The door opened and once again, Kensi was brought back to reality, away from her haunting memories. She got up from the chair she was uncomfortably occupying and moved to approach Francine who was walking towards her.<p>

"Everything went well." The nurse started, noticing the relieved sigh coming from the other woman. "And he is resting now."

The NCIS agent nervously bit her lip, trying to find the courage to ask the question that was bothering her. "Was it… I mean, was he…"

Francine smiled, placing an arm around Kensi's shoulder and guiding her back to the chairs, allowing her to sit down. "You really care for him, don't you?"

The brunette simply nodded, bracing herself.

The nurse smiled kindly, moving aside a lock from the agent's face. "It's so easy to care for him. Marty is such a gentle soul." She said while her green eyes sparkled with deep affection. "And he's very brave… and stubborn, but I think you know this better than me."

Kensi chuckled, shaking her head. "Deeks would complain non-stop for a paper cut, but he will never admit that he is in pain if he is truly hurt."

"Yeah, exactly. That's Marty… always using a joke or a witty remark instead of just saying that he is in pain." Francine echoed, holding the other woman's hand in sign of support, sensing that she was struggling with her emotions. "Thank God he passed out at one point… I couldn't stand seeing him suffer like that. Dr. Young tried to be gentle, using a double dose of local anesthesia, but no matter how gentle he was, it hurt. I know it's not nice to say, but I am glad that at one point it was too much and Marty passed out. At least he was not in agony anymore."

The brunette didn't know if she was more relieved or sad, but she was glad it was over. "How did it go? What did Dr. Young say?" She wondered feebly.

"Everything went well, he took off the damaged braces and put on new ones. It's temporary, until the old ones, the ones that perfectly shape Marty's knee, are repaired. You don't have to worry though… it really went well." The nurse reassured the NCIS agent, who visibly relaxed, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "You know he never held a grudge against you. He didn't blame you three years ago and still doesn't. You should stop blaming yourself and feeling guilty."

"Easier said than done…" Kensi bowed her head, looking at her hands that were nervously playing with each other.

"Marty always talked about you, he couldn't stop. He was like, _Kensi is like this, she can do this, and she can do that_. He said you were the person he cared the most about." Francine lifted the other woman's chin, looking straight into her beautiful mismatched eyes. "Do you think he would have talked about you like that if he blamed you… or hated you for what happened to him?"

"But… if he… if he…" Words didn't come to Kensi easily, her throat was knotted and dry. "If he cared about me, why leave? Why disappear like he did? Three years! It's been three years… I'm not mad at him, actually I can understand it, it's just… I… I don't get it. We were his friends, his family…"

"Look, I am not sure it's my place to talk about his feelings and his reasons, but have you tried putting yourself in his shoes? What would you have done if you were him back then?" Francine's intelligent green eyes scrutinized the NCIS agent, giving her a warm smile though. "You said it yourself, you were his family, his friends, people he truly cared for. In an instant, his life changed drastically. He knew he was not able to do what he had done until that day anymore, he knew that he couldn't protect you. You know better than me that Marty is loyal to the point of hurting himself for other people's safety, but he found that he was not able to be helpful in that situation. He was not able to have your back in the field anymore and it was probably too much for him to take. He needed to find a new dimension… away from his old life, even if it hurt him and probably you all as well. He needed to find something for himself though. For once, he needed to be selfish and think about his future, but trust me when I say, that he never stopped thinking about you. Believe me, being away from you and what he considered his only friends, was hard on him because, once again, he was alone." She paused, hoping that the other woman would be able to digest her words. "And he found his way by becoming a teacher. I remember how reluctant he was at first, not feeling good enough for this kind of job, but day after day, I saw his confidence grow and I started to see that beautiful smile of his… but trust me, he missed you...probably even more than you think."

Kensi had tears rolling down her cheeks and once again she couldn't stop from feeling guilty. She had always saw things through her own perspective and never through her ex-partner's eyes. And now… knowing Deeks, everything made more than sense. No matter how the whole situation and his decision had hurt him, he did what he did for her, because he felt like he was useless to the team and as a partner. Once again, for like the umpteenth time, he put other people's safety in front of his and his happiness, how was she so blind to not see it? She had always thought about her pain, her sense of abandonment, but what about his pain… he left the only family he had because he felt that he was not good enough to guarantee their safety anymore.

"Look, I am sure that he would be glad if you two talked a little. He truly missed you."

"We've never been good at communication. The only time we tried to, turned out to be a complete fiasco." The agent said, standing up, feeling a sense of uneasiness growing inside of her.

"Well, never say never. You and him are not the same people you were three years ago. Life changed you, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it changed you for worse. Use the wrong experience to make things right this time…" Francine got up as well and her lips curled into a light smile, thinking about how much those two silly idiots cared for each other. It was almost embarrassing to witness. They were probably so lost in their own personal demons and grief that they were blinded by them. "You two deserve to be happy. We have only one life, why waste it thinking about the what ifs?"

The door of the room opened without giving Kensi the chance to reply. Dr. Young approached the two women with a steady pace, his face was a bit tired. "He is still out, fortunately, because he would be in excruciating pain. I hooked him to an IV to give him some fluids and pump some painkillers in his system. I'd like to keep him here for a few more hours, so I can check on him, but you can take him home for the night."

"Thank you doctor." Kensi murmured a bit confused, still puzzled because of the words Francine told her just a few moments ago. "May I… may I see him?" She asked tentatively, closing her eyes and hoping that this was the right thing to do. After the nurse's speech, she realized that she was fighting with her own inner emotions, which were slowly overwhelming her.

"Of course. I am sure he will be happy to see a familiar face as soon as he wakes up. Please, call me or Francine if you need anything. We'll be around, ok?"

The brunette nodded. She was a bit surprised by the familiarity between the doctor and Deeks, but then thinking about it, it made sense. Those two had probably spent a lot of time together and knowing her ex-partner's laid back attitude, she knew he would not be hard for him to make new friends, even among doctors and nurses. The last thought made her a little tense, she didn't like the idea of young nurses being too close to him. She knew it was irrational, because she didn't have any claim on him, but she couldn't help herself. "Thank you again, doctor." Kensi took a long, deep breath and opened the door, stepping through it.

Deeks was in the bed, his leg was lifted to help the circulation in it. His right knee had been bandaged and then put in new braces. He was resting peacefully, his face finally relaxed and there was no trace of the searing agony she had seen on it just a couple of hours before.

She took all of her courage and moved towards him, picking up a chair and sitting at his bedside. She couldn't not notice how young he looked with his golden locks that rested on his forehead. His blond eyebrows and eyelashes encircled his eyes perfectly. Without even thinking, she took his hand in hers, entangling their fingers. It was such a nice feeling, and the touch of his skin made her feel like she was at home for the first time in a long, long time.

She leaned her chin on the mattress and then slowly she tilted her head so her face could rest on it while her fingers played with her ex-partner's. He was there, sleeping in a hospital bed, like it happened three years ago, but she had the feeling that things might be different now. Maybe Francine was right, maybe it was time to move on and treasure the mistakes they did in the past to build a new future…

Kensi brushed his hair with her hand, losing herself in the gesture. "Come on, Deeks. I need you to wake up…" She whispered with an impatience that was not typical from her. She couldn't wait any longer… three years had been long enough.

She closed her eyes and without realizing, she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>"And here you go," Callen said to Captain McGregor after he and Sam had shown him and Allison the temporary room they were going to share at the boatshed. "Whatever you need, we will be downstairs."<p>

"Thank you, Agent Callen." The captain was nervous, but he was trying to keep himself together, mostly because of his daughter, who already went through a traumatic experience and was still shaken. "Do you have any news about my wife?"

"Agent Price is on his way to get her. She will be here soon." Sam intervened, giving the man a kind smile. He could understand what he was going through. He didn't know what he might do if his own daughter miraculously escaped from a kidnapping and if he didn't know the whereabouts of his wife.

"Do you have any word on Mr. Deeks?" Allison asked with a feeble voice.

"He is still at the hospital. Kensi just called to tell us that the doctor had to perform a small surgery to remove the damaged braces, but he will be fine." The team leader could see how worried the teenager was for her teacher who had become even her hero after he had saved her life, so he did his best to reassure her. "He just needs a lot of rest and soon he will back on his feet."

The girl nodded, but it was clear that something bothered her, that she had questions she would like to ask. "Was… was he really a cop?"

"Yes, and a very good one." The ex-Seal answered promptly and proudly. In the past, he and Deeks had their own issues, but after the whole Sidorov fiasco their relationship had changed drastically and Sam had took the cop under his protective wing, like an older brother. And it worked… The big man never hid the fact that he missed the shaggy-haired detective and that the team was not the same, but obviously he never said a word when Jason was around. Their new addition was a good man and an even better agent, probably the best choice to have Kensi's back, but he was not Deeks.

"But… what happened to him? I mean, what happened to his leg…" Allison insisted, finding a bit of courage. Keeping her mind focused on something else, helped her to not think about her recent experience.

"Ally, sweetie, it's not the time. And don't you think it would be Mr. Deeks' story to tell?" Her father told her, protectively passing an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I… I think you're right." She murmured, losing herself in her dad's embrace.

The two agents thankfully nodded to the captain and then walked down the stairs that led to the main space of the boatshed.

"I still can't believe it." Sam said, sinking into the couch and resting his back on it.

"What can't you believe?" Callen frowned, noticing how his partner seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Deeks. I never expected to find him there, even more involved in an attempted kidnapping." The ex-Seal stated, passing his hand over his face. "And damn it, he did good… he's still got it."

The team leader nodded, understanding what his friend was trying to say. "Yes, it's in his DNA. He might be physically impaired somewhat, but his mind is the same… as much as his heart. He risked his life to save that girl."

Silence fell between them and for a moment the two agents' minds seemed to wander far away from here. It was Sam who spoke first.

"Do you believe in destiny, G? How many chances we had to find Deeks involved in one of our cases? Seriously, he's a teacher now. Teachers are supposed to have a safe job, not to be involved with federal investigations."

"I know Sam, and I don't know if it's destiny or not, but all in all I am glad it happened, so we had a chance to talk to him." Callen sat in front of his partner on the other couch.

"Wait, did you just say that you missed Deeks?" The ex-Seal's expression brightened, like a kid who had just received a gift on Christmas morning.

"Oh come on, you know what I meant…" The team leader felt a bit cornered. There was no sense in denying it. "Oh heck, yes… I missed him and I know for sure that you did too."

"It's been weird. I was so used to having him around. Deeks might be a pain in the ass, but he was our pain in the ass… and yes, I… I never imagined saying it years ago, but I missed him. He is… a good man and was a big part of this team."

"You can say it out loud, Mr. Hanna." Hetty intervened as she silently materialized behind the two agents.

"Oh hell, Hetty, stop doing that!" Sam exclaimed, jumping on the couch in surprise.

"What did Miss Blye say about Mr. Deeks?" The Operations Manager took a chair and sat at the table.

"The doctor performed a little surgery to remove the braces, but Deeks is going to be fine, well… as fine as he was before this incident." Callen explained her, resting his elbows on his knees. "She said that the pain was so intense that he passed out…" He let his words linger in the air, not wanting to go deeper into his affirmation, because it hurt to even think about it.

The diminutive woman nodded slightly, sighing in relief. No matter how much time had passed, she still considered Mr. Deeks a part of her team.

"Hetty, why do I have the feeling that you knew exactly what Deeks was doing for a living?" Callen furrowed his brows, studying his boss intently.

"Your supposition is correct, Mr. Callen. Actually, I was the one who suggested to Mr. Deeks that he might be a very good teacher. I am not going to tell you that it was easy to convince him, but I am sure that if you ask around, you will hear that he is doing a wonderful job." Hetty's voice couldn't hide a hint of satisfaction, of pride even.

"And why didn't you tell us anything? Haven't we got the right to know where he was and how he was doing?" Sam couldn't say that he was surprised, knowing Hetty, but still, he would have liked to have known what their friend was doing and mostly how he was doing. "We are his friends."

"Mr. Deeks asked me specifically to not reveal anything about his new life and I simply went along with his wishes." The Operations Manager replied as she observed her agents who were not very happy about her answer. "It was not easy for him to start a new life and pity was what he didn't want to see on the face of his friends. He needed to step away from everything… and everyone."

"But obviously you knew everything about him." Callen inquired ironically.

"I always need to know where my men are and what they are doing."

"Technically, Deeks is not one of your men anymore. Actually, he never was since he was still LAPD when it happened." There was a hint of irritation in Sam's voice since he couldn't stand being left in the dark.

"Fair enough." She didn't tell them that LAPD was not able to cover for Mr. Deeks' medical treatments at that time and she paid it all with her own money while waiting for NCIS to do it. "What can you tell me about the case? What did you find out?"

The team leader shook his head a bit disappointed, not liking the fact that, once again, their boss had kept things from them, but, sighing, he started explaining the details of the case. "Eric and Nell are checking the footage of the attempted kidnapping, but at the moment they haven't found anything interesting yet. The van with which the bad guys wanted to take Allison away didn't have any plates and disappeared from the cameras. The wonder twins are trying to locate it, but nothing so far."

"And did Captain McGregor tell you about the reasons behind the kidnapping?"

"He said that he had to wait and see what level of clearance we had before sharing any more details." Sam got up and moved towards the fridge to retrieve an energy drink. "He only said that he is working on a very secret project, something that a lot of people would like to put their hands on."

Hetty closed her eyes while listening and nodded at the mention of the secret project.

"Do you know something we don't?" Callen wondered skeptically.

"No, Mr. Callen. I am in the dark as much as you are, but I am willing to find out what's going on soon. I have to make some calls to my contacts."

The team leader knew that asking further questions about her source of information was like not asking at all, so he changed the subject. "Jason is on his way to the McGregor's to get the captain's wife."

"Good, once she's here, take the whole family to one of our safe houses. I don't want this place to be compromised. Ask Miss Jones which one is available and the most suitable for this situation." Hetty got up and moved towards the door. "Keep me updated."

"And will you do the same, Hetty?" Sam questioned her, lowering his voice.

"I will inform you of all the information pertinent to the case. Like I always do."

Callen was going to reply to her when his phone rang. "Jason, where are you? Yes… ok… no… yes, we're at the boatshed… we'll be waiting. Be careful." He closed the communication and his face darkened.

"What's up, G? You look like you're not that happy…" The ex-Seal could sense the tension running through his partner's body, an unmistakable sign that something was wrong. "Come on, G… what did Jason say?"

The team leader took a long, deep breath, passing a hand over his short hair. "When Jason arrived at the McGregor's, there was no one over there, the house has been turned upside down and there were evident signs of a struggle, of a fight…"

"Oh hell!" Sam cursed loudly.

Hetty inhaled deeply, before talking. "Mr. Callen, you and Mr. Hanna wait for Mr. Price, then take the captain and his daughter to the safe house."

"And then?" Callen asked seriously.

"Then you find Mrs. McGregor and her captors." Without adding anything else, the diminutive woman turned on her heels and walked outside, leaving her two agents alone, thinking about a way to tell a husband and a daughter that his wife and her mother had been kidnapped and that they had no clue of how to find her.

* * *

><p><em>I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (and just in case, a happy New Year), filled with joy and happiness, spent with the people you care about. <em>


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everybody! I hope you all had good holidays and that the new year started with the right foot.

I wanted to thank you for your support, the followings and the reviews. I deeply appreciate it.

A special thanks to purecraziness for her help and for bearing with me and my obsessed ramblings.

* * *

><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 4<p>

Kensi drove her car along the streets when the first lights of the night started turning on. She had always liked driving at this time of the day, because it gave her time to think and reflect. Usually she didn't even turn the radio on because it allowed her mind to wander around completely undisturbed. It was just a little moment of solitude that she cherished after her long days at work, chasing bad guys and saving the world. Driving made her feel normal, like the millions of other people living in LA were doing the same at the same time. It was a weird sensation, but it was something that had always given her a sense of peace. And tonight was no different.

Her mind was free to wander, only that the subject of said wandering was sitting next to her, with his head leaned against the car window and his eyes closed.

That morning, if someone told her that by the end of the night she was sitting in her car with her former partner, she wouldn't have believed it herself, but here she was. And mostly here he was.

She took a moment to study his features, his face, and his body language. Deeks hadn't changed in the past three years; his hair was still a shaggy blond mess, with stubble that covered his chin and cheeks. He was a bit paler, but this was probably due the taxing surgery he had been subjected to. In spite of his injured knee, his body was still tonic, like he never stopped exercising.

Kensi found herself biting her lip at the thought, because time didn't seem to have passed for him… he was still the same Deeks, the man who had been her best friend and probably something more.

Her hands clenched and un-clenched the steering wheel, fighting the urge to pass her fingers through his golden locks. She still remembered the electrical discharge she had felt when they had touched each other, when their bodies were close when she had helped him in the hospital. In the past three years she had tried to move on with her life, but the moment her eyes had met his, she had realized that it was simply impossible, because Deeks was still part of her life. He was still an important part of her life that she didn't want to move away from.

"You know that staring at someone who's trying to rest is a bit creepy, Kensalina?" He said, out of nowhere, with his eyes still closed.

"I was not staring. I was just checking on you, to see how you were doing…" As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew that they could easily be misinterpreted so she blushed a little and tried to put a remedy. "I mean, you've just gone through a surgery… and I know it was… well, I… I wanted to… I wanted to be sure you were ok."

A big grin formed on his lips as he slowly turned towards her, finally opening his eyes and looking straight at her. "I'm good, Kens." He told her softly, his voice nothing more than a whisper.

"Deeks, I…"

"You didn't have to drive me home. I could have called a cab." He said, studying her face to see her reaction, a little pleased when he saw a hint of anger shadowing her mismatched eyes.

"I didn't have to, but I wanted to." Kensi replied firmly. "Do you really think that Callen and Sam would have let me go that easily if I allowed you to go home alone after what happened? I would never hear the end of it."

"Glad that they still have this influence on you…"

"What… what do you mean by that?" She frowned, slightly turning her head to look at him. It was the worst of the mistakes because she lost herself in his blue eyes.

"Nothing, I meant nothing." Deeks murmured, moving his attention to out of the window.

"I see that your communication skills didn't improve in the last few years. Are you sure you're teacher? I don't think students can understand you if you talk like that." Her tone was harsher than she intended, but she couldn't help herself. It was like he was doing everything in his power to irritate her.

He didn't answer to her provocation but her words had hurt him, more than he imagined. An awkward and tense silence fell in the car.

Kensi bowed her head, realizing that maybe she was a bit out of line. He had had a crappy day, he was probably still in pain and was faced with situation he literally escaped from years ago and here she was attacking him and probably unconsciously judging him. She took a long deep breath, before saying, "I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't have…"

"It's ok, Kens. Now can you just drive me home so I can take a shower and go to bed?" He didn't even look at her.

"Deeks, I'm really sorry. I didn't have any right to say those things about your job… about you. I… I understand it has been a rough day and I am not making things easier."

The ex-cop sensed the sincerity in her voice and like old times, he couldn't resist her when she was like this, with her shield down. "It's not your fault, Kensi. It's just… I… I wasn't ready, that's it."

"Not ready for what?" She pressed, biting the inside of her lip, nervously. She knew him too well and she knew that when his voice had that mellow tone, it was the moment in which he was going to open his heart to her.

"To see you…" Deeks whispered, barely audible. "For three years I tried to go on with my life, to forget about what happened, to not think about what I had… and what I lost…"

Kensi was aware that he was not only talking about his job, about his place at NCIS. His blue eyes were locked on hers and went straight into her soul. "Deeks, I… I don't know what…"

"I missed you, Kens, like I never thought I could miss someone, but… I… I couldn't… it was too hard. I had too many things to deal with… I…"

The raw honesty, the pain, the sorrow in his words deeply touched her and instinctively, she reached for his hand, grateful when he didn't retreat from her touch. She was ready to talk to him and to comfort him, when her phone started ringing. She closed her eyes, sighing in disappointment.

"I think you should take that." Deeks said, wriggling from her grip and looking away from her.

She hesitated a moment and then, shaking her head, she picked up the call. "Hey Callen, what's up?"

The ex-cop could hear from the tone of her voice that something was wrong. He knew Kensi very well, he just needed a little glance at her facial expression, at the way she moved, to understand if she was sad or worried or scared and right now, she was definitely concerned. "Ok, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"So, what's wrong?" The blond teacher asked nonchalantly.

"How do you know that…" She looked at him, finding him staring at her with a lifted eyebrow.

"Come on Kens, once a cop always a cop," he winked cunningly, before adding, "And I know you. I can understand when something bothers you and at the moment, you are worried about something."

Kensi sighed, amazed by how he could still read her so well. "Look, I am going to leave you at your apartment and then I have to go back to the boatshed. Something happened and the guys needs me."

"Is it about Allison? Or her family? Nothing happened to her…" The ex-cop straightened in his seat, wincing when his leg made a sudden move.

"Allison is fine, Deeks… it's…" The NCIS agent was debating on whether to tell him everything or not. He was a civilian now, but at the same time he was her former partner, one of the best cops she had ever met, one that would have made a great agent if only he had the chance.

"Oh come on, Fern, it's me! You know you can tell me anything!" He pressed.

"Can I? Really? You could even be a terrorist by now, Deeks… I… I don't know you anymore." Her voice was low and couldn't hide a hint of hurt.

"Stop the car." He told her firmly.

"What?" Kensi couldn't say she was not confused by his request.

"I said stop the car!" He repeated while his voice got a bit louder.

"No, why do I have to stop the car?"

"Stop this damn car and look at me in the eyes, Kens!" He panted heavily and his body shook. Then, his expression softened and his voice went back to normal. "Look into my eyes and tell me you don't know me anymore, Kens…"

Unconsciously, the NCIS agent pulled over and stopped the car. Her eyes immediately looked for his and for a moment she was completely lost in the ocean blue of his orbs. It was like plunging in the past, a past that she still felt very close and very dear to. She bowed her head, biting the inside of her lip. "Allison's mother, Mrs. McGregor, is missing. Jason found her house empty with signs of a struggle. We think she's been kidnapped."

Deeks absorbed the news, nodding with determination. "Ok, take me with you to the boatshed."

"What? No… why should I do that? You're… you're…" Her protective instinct kicked in.

"I am a witness and more importantly I can take care of Allison while you all talk to her father or go somewhere with him." He stated firmly. His eyes sparkled with determination.

"But… no, I mean you… you're hurt and the doc said you need to rest… and you…"

"Don't go there, Kens, please. Don't make me feel useless… please, I can accept it for everyone but not from you!" Deeks' hands trembled and his voice cracked.

"It's not my intention to make you feel useless, but it might be dangerous and we don't know who we're dealing with." She tried to reassure him, hoping that he could see her point.

"Kensi, I might be a cripple, but I took down three of those guys, I know Allison… I…" He hesitated, locking his eyes on hers. "Please, let me help you."

She took a long, deep breath, then started driving again. "Ok, you can come with me, but Hetty will have the last word on this."

"Ok… deal." He murmured, passing a hand through his hair.

"Deal… yes…" Kensi could see the change in his attitude, for a brief second it was just like the old times. For a brief second, it was like the past three years didn't happen at all.

* * *

><p>Allison McGregor couldn't believe it. When she woke up that morning she didn't expect her life to be turned upside down. She had been excited because of the essay she wrote and that Mr. Deeks was going to read it, actually she had been very proud of it since she worked on it very hard and couldn't wait to know what her teacher thought of it. She couldn't deny that she had a great admiration for her teacher and wanted to impress him, to show him how good she was, but now, all of this seemed so distant and so unimportant.<p>

First, someone tried to kidnap her, then she found out that Mr. Deeks not only was her favorite teacher, but was an ex-cop who literally saved her life; last but not the least, the federal agents had told her and her father that someone burst into their house, kidnapping her mother.

Her eyes were puffy and red for all the tears she shed and she could feel a tight knot clenching her stomach… why her? Why her family? This was a bad dream, just a freaking nightmare.

She was sitting on the couch in this weird place that the NCIS agents brought them to, which smelled of fish and didn't give her any sense of safety. Allison wanted to go home, back to her life, to her school and to her friends.

The girl could hear her father talking with the three agents, but she couldn't focus on what they were saying. She couldn't stop thinking about the last conversation she had with her mother that morning, about how they joked as usual about her mysterious boyfriend, about her upcoming softball match… everything seemed so normal. And now… what if she never sees her mum again? What if those bad people… she couldn't even allow herself to finish the sentence, because it hurt too much. And once again, tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

"Oh sweetie…" Captain McGregor sat next to her, holding her in his arms, kissing her forehead. "Everything will be ok, Ally. Your mother will be home soon."

"And what if she isn't? Those people… they… if the men who took her are the same who tried to take me this morning, they are… they were ready to kill Mr. Deeks, they are merciless…" She looked at her father, unable to stop crying. "What do they want, dad? Why are they doing this to us?"

"I… they… they probably want something I am working on." McGregor admitted guiltily, gently caressing his daughter's hair in the mere attempt of comforting her.

"So give it to them so mum can come home to us!" There was a desperate note in the girl's voice, which broke her father's heart.

"I wish I could honey, but I… I can't. If my project ends up in the wrong hands, a lot of people could die. A lot of innocent people…" The Captain was struggling with his own emotions, trying to balance between his role as a father and husband and his duties towards the Navy.

"But they could kill her! I want mum back…" Just saying her fears out loud exhausted the teenager who fell in her father's embrace, burying her face on his chest.

"We're doing everything in our power to bring your mother back to you, Allison, but to do it we need you and your father's help." Sam told her, sitting in front of the McGregors. "And we need to move you to a safe location where we can protect you in a much better way."

"I'm not going anywhere without my wife and more importantly, before I know who took her!" The Captain jumped on his feet, protesting vehemently.

"Listen, Captain, I can imagine what you're going through…" Callen started but was interrupted by McGregor, who almost shouted at him.

"You can, Agent Callen? Are you married? Have you ever had one of the most important people in your life taken away because of what you do?"

"Well, not exactly, but…"

"Well, in this case, you don't know what I am feeling and what I'm going through. Those people tried to kidnap my daughter in plain sight, they had no shame and no fear and it was only by a miracle that they didn't do it," the Captain was trembling like a leaf, clearly shocked by the events of the day. "And then they took my wife and God only knows what they did to her…"

The team leader bowed his head. He probably didn't know what the man was going through, but he had an idea of how he would feel if someone would take someone he cared for to get to him.

"Captain, trust me, I know exactly how you are feeling," Sam intervened, seeing his partner struggle with his own emotions. "I've been in your position and I know it's not easy but, because I know, I want you to let us do our job and find your wife… but you have to help us. We need to know everything you can tell us about your project and who eventually would like to get their hands on it…"

"Like I said, I'm not free to tell you about it…"

"Indeed you are, Captain McGregor," a new voice caught the man's attention. "I talked to your direct superior and he explained the situation to me. You don't have to reveal any details about the project, but maybe you can help us find out who might be so interested in stealing it."

"Miss Lange, how could you possibly know my…"

"Oh I have a lot of friends, Captain, and it's Hetty." The Operations Manager gave him a cunning smile, but her expression couldn't hide a bit of concern.

The Captain passed a hand through his hair and sank back in the couch, next to his daughter. "The project is one of those that can change the sorts of any conflicts. Whoever might have this kind of technology would play an important role in any kind of war. It's for good purpose and if used in the way we are thinking it might be used, it can help a lot of people, but if it ends up in the wrong hands, well that could be a real problem… a matter of national security."

"Is it so big?" Jason asked, speaking for the first time since his arrival.

"Big is not enough, Agent Price. Every foreign country might want to get it."

"Yes, but Deeks said that the men who tried to kidnap your daughter didn't have a particular accent." Sam objected, but he was talking more to his teammates rather than with the Captain.

"Have you ever received any kind of threat…" Once again, Callen was talking but the Captain interrupted him.

"I have already told you, Agent Callen. I wouldn't risk my family for anything. If I knew that…" McGregor's voice cracked and he calmed down a little only when he felt Allison's gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I know, Captain, but maybe you've been followed and you didn't realize it. Have you noticed some new people in your neighborhood or at the office or I don't know, at your favorite store? Every little detail can be very important." The team leader insisted.

"No, I… I haven't seen anyone, but I am not at home as often as Allison or Julie…" McGregor moved his attention to his daughter, a questioning gaze was painted on his face. "Have you seen anyone around the house or at school, sweetie? Anything that didn't sound right, can be important."

Allison bit her lip, nervously playing with her hands. She remained silent for a while, like she was deeply thinking about the answer to give her father. "I… I don't know whether it is important or not, but last week I was trying to write my essay for Mr. Deeks' class and I couldn't concentrate because some men were working outside. Mum said that they were the phone company technicians… they finished their job in a couple of days and they told us that they were done… but two days ago, I saw a van for the phone company parked in front of our house. I… I… I didn't think it was important until now."

The three agents exchanged a look with their boss who nodded. Hetty was going to press the button to call Eric when the screen took life.

"Mr. Beale, tell me you were listening to what we were talking about or this is a bit creepy." She greeted him, expecting him to jump and become very nervous, but the tech's reaction was not the one she expected. "Mr. Beale?"

Eric sighed heavily before replying, his expression grave. "We… we were checking through Captain McGregor's email account."

The Captain tensed and was ready to protest when the Operations Managers stopped him.

"We have Admiral Jensen's approval on this, Captain." She simply said and just the mention of his boss seemed to calm McGregor. "Please Mr. Beale, go ahead."

"Well, an email was sent a few minutes ago… from an unknown account that I tried to trace but with no results."

"What did the email say?" The Captain asked, jumping on his feet, feeling his heart beat madly in his chest.

"It's… it's a video…" The tech felt like an intruder but he knew that this was his job and he should do his best if he wanted to be of any help.

"Play it, Eric." Sam told him and as soon as the video started, silence fell in the room.

"Oh my God… oh dear God…" Captain McGregor froze as he saw the battered and bruised face of his wife on the screen. She was surrounded by the dark so whoever was standing behind her was hidden from everyone's view. What was clear and absolutely visible instead, was the barrel of a rifle aimed at her temple.

"Peter, they said they want… they want the plans of your project and they want you. They are giving you two days before… before they… they kill me…" The woman broke into tears the moment the last words left her mouth. "They will send you the instructions in a new email… but they said that the Federal Agents need to step back. If they see one of them around you or Allison, they…" The woman couldn't finish her sentence because a bullet literally blew her head away.

"NO!" Peter screamed desperately, falling on his knees, while Allison cried out desperately.

"Mum… mum…. MUM!"

Then a new voice, distorted mechanically, resounded gravely in the room. "This is just a warning Captain. Next time, it will be your daughter. Get ready for our email with the instructions and get rid of the feds if you want your sweet Allison to live." The screen became black and Eric's face appeared again.

"Mum…." Allison was crying desperately as Sam tried to comfort her. In vain.

"I… I need to get out of here… I… I can't… you heard them… I…" McGregor was panicking and not thinking straight.

"Captain McGregor, you better calm down!" Hetty tried to talk to him but nothing seemed to work.

"I… I need to… what they want… I can't… Julie… my Julie…" The man was walking up and down the room, moving towards the door like he wanted to get out of the boatshed.

"Captain please, let us do our job." Callen placed himself in front of him, blocking his way.

"Your job? My wife… they killed my wife. How could you ask me to do your job after this? Agent Callen move away…"

"No, I can't… sir." The team leader sated firmly.

The Captain became even more agitated. He placed his hand on the agent's chest, pushing him away. "I need to get out…"

He didn't finish what he intended to say, because Jason put him in a chokehold, knocking him unconscious. Everyone looked at him with a puzzled look. "What? It was the easiest way."

"Dad!" Allison wriggled from Sam's embrace and rushed to her father's side.

The ex-Seal followed her, holding her again. "He's ok, Allison. He's just sleeping. It's for his and your own sake… it was necessary."

The girl turned to look at him, with teary eyes. "What's happening now? What's going to happen to us?"

"We're going to protect you and your father. You have my word." Sam stated, locking his glance on hers.

"It will never be the same, will it? Nothing will be the same anymore…" She guided her father in her arms and let her tears flow freely.

* * *

><p>After Kensi contacted Hetty, telling her about Deeks' request and after the Operations Manager had agreed to have him on board, silence had fallen in the car. They were both lost in their thoughts, busy trying to process what was going to happen and what working together, side by side, after such a long time, could mean to them.<p>

The NCIS agent couldn't deny that she was excited but at the same time there was a small dose of worry in her. She was still not over the guilt consuming her and sadly, she knew that this feeling was not healthy.

On the other hand, Deeks couldn't believe he was here, with her, sitting next to her, in her car, like he did millions of times in the past. His eyes landed on his leg and his mood darkened though. He couldn't fool anyone, nothing was like the old times. He was different and he could feel that even Kensi was different. She looked at him in a different way and treated him like he was made of glass. He could understand why she did and he could even understand that it was not something she did on purpose, but deep inside he hated it. He hated when people pitied him, when they saw him just like an invalid. He took a long, deep breath, passing a hand through his hair. Who was he kidding? He was the fool, because he was an invalid… a cripple, and playing the super-agent once again won't change things or make them better. He didn't hold any grudge against anyone because of what happened, but nothing will ever change what he became and how his life changed so drastically.

Kensi didn't want to stare at him, but even with the corner of her eyes, she could see her former partner struggle. When she noticed him passing his fingers through his golden locks while his other hand rested on his injured knee, she knew he was nervous and her primal instinct was to comfort him, to make him feel better. "Hey, you ok?" She asked nonchalantly, allowing a little smile to form on her lips.

"Yeah, I'm… good." He not-so-subtlety lied. He was far from good and he knew that his ex-partner could read through his lies very well. "I… well, I've been better, but…"

"I am not talking about your knee, Deeks. And you know it." She pressed, attempting to reach for his hand.

Deeks didn't know what to do, a wave of panic rushed through him. He didn't like that Kensi could see how pathetic he was, that she could judge him.

"Hey, it's me. You know you can talk to me…"

"Kens, listen, I… I appreciate your concern, but I'm good, really. It's not the first time I have found myself in a situation like this and you should know it better than me, since we've been through a lot together." He hoped that she would buy it, that she simply left him alone, but it didn't seem like the case.

"Yes, we've been through a lot, but… it's been three years. Three years Deeks. I… I didn't even know if you were dead or alive," she realized that this was not the moment to bring back her own emotions. Right now, it should be about him, not about her. "I mean… you've been out of the game for three years, it's normal to feel nervous." She paused, letting her words sink in his mind. "Seriously, after finding out about what you've been up to in the past years, I'd… I'd prefer that you go back to that life… because I know you'd be safe…"

"So you think I'm not good enough to do this anymore? That I can't even take a look at Allison… because I'm…" He started to tremble as a sense of defeat, of disappointment and anger, took possession of his body. He couldn't even find the words to express all of his feelings.

"NO! Don't you ever think that. I know who you are Deeks, and what you're capable of. Hell, you took down three heavily armed men on your own, using just a freaking walking stick!" She replied firmly, but then her voice surprisingly softened and her eyes watered. "But… after… well after what happened, I'd prefer to see you safe than in danger again. I can't stand seeing you hurt, Deeks. It… it breaks my heart."

Deeks was shocked by her raw honesty, by how much she said with just a few words, something he never expected, but that deep down, it made him feel better and gave him confidence. "But you'll be there to protect me… you're my Wonder Woman." A sweet but teasing smile brightened his face as he looked for her hand. Their fingers intertwined and suddenly, it was like a heavy weight was removed from his shoulders. "Thank you." He whispered in his mellow tone that always melted Kensi's heart.

"You're… welcome, but why are you thanking me? I didn't do anything…"

"You made me feel normal." His blue eyes locked on hers and for a brief moment, nothing existed anymore. A big grin then curled his lips. "Now, you might be Wonder Woman, but maybe it's better if you move your attention to the road. I know I am charming and hot, but I don't want to risk a car accident."

"Idiot!" She lightly slapped his shoulder, smiling by how easy it was to go back to their old rhythm. "You know that Wonder Woman doesn't like idiots."

The ex-cop shook his head, unable to take away the silly smirk from his face. His eyes moved away from her and landed on the side mirror. "Kens…" He beckoned at her, silently asking her to do the same.

"What?" She wondered worriedly, not seeing anything wrong.

"Two cars behind us, the black van. It's been following us for a while."

"Since we left the hospital?" Kensi's trained eyes saw what her friend was pointing at and immediately her senses went on alert.

"I don't know, I was a bit out of it at first, but as soon as I looked through the mirror, it was there. Can you try to lose it?" Deeks suggested, holding on to his seat, knowing what her reaction might be.

The NCIS agent pressed on the pedal and her car sped up, but sadly, she noticed the van passed the two cars preceding it and followed them. "It's definitely on our tail. Hold still, I'll try to lose it."

"Just don't make me car sick, please."

"Oh shut up!" Kensi passed a car, but the traffic of the hour was making it a bit hard to leave their pursuers behind.

"Turn left, over there!" Deeks shouted, indicating a smaller street that she blindly took without even doubting it.

The black van was still behind them and seemed to gain on them.

"What the hell! I can't believe a van can go that fast!" She yelled angrily without moving her eyes away from the street.

"Oh come on, Fern… don't tell me you never saw the A-Team! That van was faster than any other cars!" The teacher tried to dissipate some of the tension gripping her body, using his usual humor.

"Not the moment, Deeks!" She scolded him, making a sudden turn on the right, unfortunately finding herself in front of a long line of people who were probably doing some sort of celebration and were blocking their way. "No, no, no!" She inserted the car in reverse and entered a little alley right before the van could reach them.

"Wow, that was close!" Deeks shouted, almost excited, amazed by her driving style. "Who gave you driving lessons in the last few years?"

"Hey, I've always been good!" She remarked, one eye focused on the street in front of her and one on the van still chasing them.

"Oh, I think Callen doesn't agree with that. You made him car sick the only time he had to ride with you!"

She ignored his statement, taking note of it so she could have her revenge later. "We're almost out of this alley…" She didn't manage to finish what she was saying.

Another van appeared out of nowhere from a crossroad, blocking their way.

"Kensi, look out!" Deeks shouted before he watched Kensi quickly turn, and with all of her energy, the steering wheel to the left to avoid the newcomer. She made it, but one of the wheels bumped on an obstacle. The car lost contact with the asphalt and in a blink of an eye flipped them over, continuing to roll them for a few seconds, ending its course upside down.

"Deeks…" The NCIS agent murmured feebly as she tried to reach her friend, but darkness was engulfing her. The last thing she was aware of was the sound of footsteps approaching, then she fell into oblivion.


	5. Chapter 5

I just wanted to thank you for the support, for reading and reviewing this story. I deeply appreciate it.

A special thank you to purecraziness for bearing with me and my silliness.

* * *

><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 5<p>

He blinked repeatedly, trying to adjust his sight but it was not working. His head was pounding madly and his whole body ached, protesting at every single movement he tried to make. Everything was fuzzy and blurred, but slowly memories came to his mind and along with them, the realization of the situation he was finding himself in. He was in a car that was upside down, which meant he was upside down himself and trapped because of the seat belt that was still holding him.

Deeks tried to stretch his arm to unbuckle himself from that position, but as soon as he did, his right knee exploded in pain, literally taking his breath away, blinding him again while white spots danced in front of him. "Kensi…" He murmured, suddenly remembering that he was not alone in the car. "Kensi!" His voice became a bit louder as panic rushed through his veins.

With a slow and tentative movement, he turned his head towards the driver's seat and his heart felt like it was almost going to explode in his chest. His former partner was nowhere to be found, the door on her side was open. He didn't know whether he was imagining things, because his ears were ringing loudly, but he could swear that someone was talking and yelling outside the car.

A sense of relief engulfed him, maybe someone had called 911 and they were being rescued, but this nice feeling didn't last long. The door on his side was forcefully opened and strong hands started dragging him out, without any care.

He screamed in pain when his leg slammed against the wreck of the car, the agony was so excruciating that it sent him on the verge of passing out. He was sure he could hear a familiar voice in the background, but couldn't force his brain to focus when it was like someone was twisting a red-hot iron rod on his knee.

"Deeks!" The voice screamed, taking him away from his personal hell.

"Kens…" The ex-cop whispered, finally realizing what was happening; his ex-partner was being held by two masked men, struggling to get free, kicking and thrashing around. Another two men, in the same black gear, were supporting his dead weight.

Kensi's hands were zip-tied behind her back and she was put on her knees. Deeks was tied in the same way and mercilessly slammed on the ground, making him cry out.

"Damn it, can't you see that he's hurt?" She protested vehemently before one of their captors backhanded her, splitting her lip and causing the already bleeding cut on her cheek to bleed even more profusely.

"I want answers." One of the men told her, grabbing her hair and tilting her head back.

A cold shiver ran down the NCIS agent as she could see herself and her partner in the same situation three years ago.

"What kind of answer I can give you, if I don't even know the question?" Kensi replied defiantly, but doing so earned herself just another punch in her stomach. This time she had to cry out because the blow hit her a bit too close to a possibly cracked rib caused by the crash.

"You're funny, Agent Blye…" The man told her, grinning behind the ski mask.

Deeks' blood froze when he heard her name being called out loud. If these people knew who they were, they were in trouble.

"I want to know where Captain McGregor is. I know your friends have him. Tell me where and I will let you go, you and Mr. Teacher over there."

A sense of relief flushed through her, realizing that these men didn't know who Deeks was. At least they might concentrate on hurting her this time. They probably had been following them since their visit to the hospital, maybe even before. "I don't have any idea of what you're talking about!" She said even more defiantly, before the man slapped her again across her face, sending her to the ground.

"Ok, you like to play, so let's play." The man grabbed her by her hair and handed her to his men. "Put them in the van, we'll continue this in quieter place." The sounds of sirens could be heard in distance.

The masked men did as they had been ordered; two of them pulled the NCIS agent on her feet and pushed her in the black van, while the other two literally dragged an almost unresponsive Deeks, throwing him in the van as well and then closing the door behind them.

Darkness engulfed them as the engine started and the van moved away from the site of the car accident.

"Deeks!" Kensi called desperately, crawling towards her friend. "Come on, Deeks, tell me something." She struggled in her bindings, trying to get herself free, mostly because she needed to check on her ex-partner who hadn't said a single word in a few minutes, worrying her more than she wanted to admit. "Come on, partner, stay with me!"

"Not going… anywhere…" A weak voice replied to her, making her release the breath she was holding. "And you called me… partner…"

Her body trembled when the realization of what had escaped from her mouth. He was right, she had called him partner… "You know you will always be my partner, Deeks." Her voice was surprisingly soft and gentle, so different from her usual steady and determined tone.

There was an awkward pause before he spoke again. "You ok?" He asked, trying to find a more comfortable position, grinding his teeth when his leg moved just an inch.

"I'm fine…" She answered a bit too quickly, knowing it was a mistake. He could read behind the lines of her lie.

"Kens…"

"I'm a bit banged up, but all in all, I think I'm not that bad. I might have a cracked rib, bruises and cuts everywhere, but I'm not dying…" Their predicament was not one of the best, so she found herself adding, "Not because of the car accident, at least." She paused, listening intently at his ragged breath. "What about you? Are you hurt?"

Silence, just heavy panting.

"Deeks, from one to ten, how much does your leg hurt?" She thought it was safe asking about his leg, because it was probably killing him, then she would find out about further injuries.

"Probably around to fifteen… sixteen." He murmured feebly, struggling to not show how much pain he truly was in. On his scale it was probably over fifty right now, but he didn't want her to worry more than she was already doing.

"Well, I feared it was worse. What about other injuries… did you hit your head again?" Kensi was afraid he might have a concussion after the heavy blow he received that morning during his fight with the bad guys.

"If you're worried about a concussion, I'm not worse than this morning…"

His words didn't sound very reassuring, but she didn't want to press too much right now. They had a plan to work on. The NCIS agent didn't want to show it, but she was terrified. The last time she had found herself in this situation, it didn't end well for her partner, who was still carrying the signs and the consequences of her mistakes.

Like he was reading her mind, Deeks moved close to her, searching for body contact. "Don't go there, Fern. I know what you're thinking and… it won't be the same. Everything will be ok."

"How can you say that? Look at where we are…" Kensi wanted to be strong, to be tough, but the past was haunting her with her dark ghosts.

"Sincerely, I can't see that much…" He tried to joke, but he felt that it was not working. Fighting the agony coursing through his whole body, he made little movements to get closer to her. He hated being tied, because right know he only wanted to hold her tightly in his arms, reassure her that everything was truly going to be ok. His arm connected with hers, so he turned his head and suddenly, he was just a mere inch away from her face. He could smell her scent, feel her breath on his face. They were so close that their noses were almost touching, that their mouths were dangerously attracted to each other. "Do you trust me Kens?"

His voice was soft and once again had that mellow tone that she couldn't resist and always melt her heart. In addition to this, she was finding it hard to control herself because of the close proximity of their bodies. "You know that you're the only person I trust with my… with everything." She told him as she heard her breath become a bit ragged and her heartbeat pacing up. Her throat was suddenly dry. She knew that it was wrong to feel like this while being in the situation they were right now, but she hadn't felt this spark in years, with anyone. When she was this close to Deeks it was like there was electrical discharge surrounding them and coursing through their bodies, making her feel like she had never felt.

"So trust me in this…" He had to take a long intake of air, mostly to fight the pain in his leg, but also to control his instinct. Having her so close, gave him extra strength, but also pumped adrenaline in his system. Their skin touched for a brief second and it was like the world stopped around them, like they were not here, like all of this was just a nightmare. He had to blink repeatedly to bring himself to the mere reality. "We will make it out of this. I promise."

The NCIS agent was aware of how absurd and irrational his promise was, but just his presence, just the fact that he was there, made her believe it and gave her hope. She shifted just an inch, to stretch her legs, and their foreheads touched. She couldn't see him, but his unmistakable scent invaded her nostrils. Among the smell of sweat, blood, and anesthetic, she could distinctively sense the aroma of the salty air of the beach… of the ocean, the scent that was only Deeks. Suddenly, she had the urge to feel his lips on hers, she craved for contact, for something deeper. She was attempting to finally make a move, letting her barriers crumble once again because of his attack, when the van turned violently to its left.

Their bodies rolled one against the other and Deeks couldn't suppress a pained cry when his injured knee crashed against the metal surface of the side of the van.

"What the hell is happening?" The ex-cop muttered as the vehicle made another unexpected movement. This time he found himself on top of her, but it lasted just a second because they were tossed around once again, until the van finally stopped.

"I don't know, but we stopped…" Kensi started kicking on the back door of the van, hoping that she could open it so they could sneak away from their captors, take advantage of the situation. Sadly, for her, the door didn't have any intention to give up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Deeks asked, a bit concerned by the noise he could hear and by the fact that he couldn't feel her presence next to him anymore.

"I am trying to open this door." Another kick was followed by another grunt.

"Oh damn girl!" He shook his head and a bit frustrated, but slowly and cautiously he moved to the back of the van, positioning his shoulder against it and pushing to help her. Using his legs, even his good one, was not an option. If they had to run, he would need at least one good leg to stand on.

They were still busy in their task when they heard a big commotion coming from the outside, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunshots. They couldn't distinguish clearly who was yelling and what they were saying, because the walls of the van, as they had tested it first hand, were probably reinforced, becoming almost soundproof.

There were different noises that they couldn't place until they heard the engine of the other van take to life and then it was silence again.

"Now what?" Deeks asked, panting heavily, his vain attempt of helping Kensi had literally exhausted him.

"Now we…" She couldn't finish her sentence because the door of the van opened.

"Kensi! Deeks!" Sam's voice echoed in the small space.

"Sam!" The brunette replied, literally rolling towards her teammates, who grabbed her in time before she could fall outside.

"Are you ok, guys?" Callen intervened, appearing behind his partner.

"We're… good." The ex-cop stated, sighing in relief for dodging another bullet. "Just force her to be checked. Those guys roughed her up."

"And someone needs to check on his knee. He just had surgery on that knee but he slammed it right and left." Kensi remarked immediately, locking her eyes on her former partner, just happy that they were both safe and the past didn't repeat itself. She turned towards Callen, who was helping to untie her, while Sam was helping Deeks out. "How did you find us?"

"We got your agent-in-distress call and Eric found you, saw the footage of the car crash and followed you on Kaleidoscope." The team leader explained.

"Agent-in-distress call? I never sent it, I was busy…" Realization hit her like a running train. "You did it, didn't you?"

Deeks grimaced as Sam supported him once he was out of the van. Without crutches he could only count of the ex-Seal's support. "Like you said, you were busy driving… so I thought I… I could do it for you. I am still capable of sending one…" His free hand passed through his hair as he tried to hide from her eyes.

Kensi couldn't believe it. He saved her once again, because if he hadn't sent the call, no one would have noticed their disappearance and… no, she didn't want to think about it. Her heart was almost exploding because of how fast she was breathing. "You… you kept your promise."

The ex-cop blushed a little, biting his lip nervously, but didn't say anything.

The two older agents exchanged a puzzled glance, not fully understanding what their friends were talking about, but aware that the ex-partners still had feelings for each other. It was so obvious…

"Are we missing something here?" Callen questioned with a hint of irony.

"No, Kensi is simply amazed by my awesomeness…" Deeks tried to joke but his eyes could not leave hers, mesmerized by their deepness and the heartfelt gratitude he could read in them.

The sound of the ambulance stopping just a few meters from them shook them away, bringing them back to reality.

"Come on, Mr. Awesome, let's get you checked out." Sam told the blond ex-detective, slowly guiding him towards the running paramedics.

The sudden movement sent waves of pure agony through his whole body, but Deeks tried not to cry out. Sadly for him it didn't work very well and a pained moan escaped from his lips.

"You ok, Deeks?" The ex-Seal asked worriedly, not sure of how hurt his friend was.

"I'm… good, Sam. Just be sure that Kensi is checked out as well. She might say that she's fine, but she's not."

A soft smile curled Sam's lips as he shook his head. "You two are incredibly blind…"

"What do you mean?" The teacher frowned as he tensed, caught by surprise.

"Come on, Shaggy, you're a teacher, aren't you? You shouldn't be that dumb…"

"I… I…" Deeks was taken by surprise, he didn't expect his friend to call him out, right here, right now. "I… I don't know what you're talking about! There's nothing between Kensi and me… hell, we haven't seen each other in three years!"

"You can tell that to yourself as many times as you want, but you sure don't believe it yourself, do you? Because in my opinion, you're just lying to yourself." Sam helped the paramedics put his friend on a gurney and before they could take care of him, he leaned towards the ex-cop, whispering, "You two have been through a lot, you deserve happiness. We live only once, why should we live our life sad and alone?"

The blond teacher watched the big man give space to the paramedics, who started asking him questions and checking on him, but he couldn't get Sam's words out of his mind. Was he really throwing away his only chance to happiness? Was Kensi his chance of happiness?

* * *

><p>Deeks was sitting in the passenger seat of Callen's car, the door was open and his injured leg was resting on a small trash bin someone provided him. The painkillers the paramedics had given him was numbing the pain in his aching body, but he was sure that as soon as the effects of the pills disappeared, he would start to feel the effects of the car crash he and Kensi had been involved in.<p>

Sam approached him, handing him a bottle of water.

"Thanks," the ex-cop said, opening it immediately and gulping it down.

"Hey, easy there. I don't want you to start throwing up on me." The ex-Seal had a big smile planted on his face. He would never tell it to anyone, but he was happy to have the shaggy-haired ex-detective back around. He had missed him, more than he would like to ever admit.

"Don't worry mum, the paramedics said no concussion. My head is tough." Deeks' eyes searched for Kensi who was still be checked on. "How's she doing?"

"She's just giving them a hard time, swearing that she is fine and she doesn't need any of them…" A chuckle escaped from the ex-Seal's mouth as he leaned against the door of the car. "How's the leg?" He asked as his glance instinctively moved towards Deeks' knee.

"Not too bad now. I called my doc and he wants to see me in a couple of days just to make sure I didn't mess up his nice handy work, but I sent him a pic of my knee and he was surprised of how good it was holding up… in spite of everything…"

"Good." Sam took a long deep breath, pushing away the fears that had gripped his heart when they had received the agent-in-distress call. It had been almost four years after the whole Sidorov incident, but he had kept his promise to the man sitting in front of him. He never made the mistake of underappreciating him and he had always been very supportive instead. If something good came out of that terrible experience, well, that would be the new kind of relationship they developed and cherished. The big man truly cared for the ex-cop and he never missed the chance to show it to him and the entire world. "So… a teacher…" He stared a bit hesitantly.

"Yeah, a teacher. Unexpected, eh?" A silly smile curled on the teacher's lips as he locked his eyes on his friend.

"What subject?"

"Economy and jurisprudence." Deeks said proudly.

The ex-Seal lifted his eyebrow skeptically, but in a kind way. He was not judgmental at all.

"I have a law degree, remember? And I even passed the State Bar!" The ex-cop could see how proud his friend was. His whole posture told him and it made him feel good. His expression turned serious before he spoke again. "It's… good. I never imagined it would be this good when Hetty proposed it to me…"

"Hetty? I should have known that she was behind all of this!"

"Yes, she knew the Montgomery High's principal's father, she just sent a word… and here I am." His blue eyes looked for his hands that were nervously playing with the fabric of his jacket. "It's not fighting the bad guys every day, but… it's good and… I can still make a difference, just in a different way."

"Well, if you made half the impression on your students as you made on Allison McGregor, I'm sure you're doing an amazing job." Sam paused, seeing the sparkle in his friend's eyes. He knew how the other man used to not have a great consideration of himself, in spite of the appearance. When it came to himself, Deeks could easily beat himself down, even without deserving it. The ex-Seal could imagine that this was something that was still stuck in his mind because of his childhood and deep down, he simply hated it. He placed a hand behind the other man's neck, in a brotherly and affectionate way. "You've always been good with kids, you can talk to them in a way no one does or is able to do. That is a gift… My daughter still has a little crush on you!"

This time the ex-cop couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Well, you can send her to my school then" He winked cunningly while he saw, from the corner of his eye, Kensi and Callen approach. "So, how are you feeling Kensalina?" He joked, trying to hide his concern for his ex-partner.

"I'm fine…" Realizing that this line wouldn't work with him, Kensi immediately added, "A bit banged up, but fine. It could have been worse if you didn't send that call."

Deeks knew how much it cost her to admit that he saved her and his own life and that she was not the one who thought about sending the call, alerting their friends. "We would have made it, you know that you and I have nine lives like the cats."

A big smile appeared on her lips at his words. "You're not called the infamous jungle cat for nothing…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt your inside joke, but we have work to do." Callen put himself between them but he was not able to take their eyes away from each other. He rolled his blue eyes instead, a bit annoyed, but again, not in a bad way. "Deeks, we're taking you home, then we will head to the safe house where Jason and Nell took Captain McGregor and his daughter."

Kensi didn't give Deeks time to protest. "No, Deeks is coming with us. Hetty knows and agreed, but… you said Captain McGregor and Allison, what about his wife?"

The two senior agents exchanged a surprised look at her words, but since Hetty agreed they didn't question it any further.

"Mrs. McGregor is dead." Sam said gravely.

"What? No… I… I can't… oh poor Allison…. But, what happened?" The ex-cop uncomfortably shifted in his seat, almost attempting to get up.

"Hey, where do you think you're going? Walking your way to the safe house?" The team leader scolded him, only because he didn't want his friend to hurt himself even more.

"When Jason arrived at the McGregor's, he found it trashed, with sign of a struggle, and the Captain's wife nowhere to be seen. Eric was searching McGregor's email account and found a video sent from an unknown location that he is still trying to trace. It was a video feed showing Mrs. McGregor…" The ex-Seal's voice cracked a little, remembering the gruesome scene that took place in front of their eyes. "She… said that her kidnappers wanted the Captain and the plans of his project, she was saying that they were going to give him two days before they killed her, but they simply killed her… right then, in front of the camera. They…"

Callen saw his partner struggle with words, probably imagining himself in the Captain's place. "They just wanted to play and frighten McGregor and his family. They didn't have any intentions of setting his wife free. She was just an example, to force him to cooperate. They had threatened his daughter… and the man freaked out. Jason had to… take care of him."

"Take care of him? What do you mean by that?" The ex-cop looked at his ex-partner with a questioning glance. He didn't know why, but Callen's words had unsettled him. He didn't know this Jason Price guy and he truly didn't know if he was good enough to be Kensi's partner.

The brunette lightly shook her head, like she was telling him that everything was under control. Then, she moved her attention to her teammates. "Don't tell me he used the chokehold on McGregor… he did it, didn't it?"

"You taught him that, so it's your fault…" Sam couldn't suppress a smile, grateful for the lighter moment. This case was hitting a bit too close to home for him and the fact that a couple of his friends' life had been threatened too was making him nervous.

"But I told him not to use it on the good guys!" Kensi protested while Callen and even Deeks couldn't suppress a fat laugh. "You are not funny!"

"You taught me that, but… I never used it on a good guy." The ex-cop stated, unable to stop himself. His expression became suddenly serious, as once again his eyes were locked on hers, like they were busy in a silent communication. "What about Allison? How is she doing?" He forced himself to ask, moving his glance away. He was finding it hard to not be attracted to his ex-partner, but the more he tried to resist the urge to get closer to her, the closer he got. They were like magnets that were resisting the force, attracting towards each other, but that were aware that sooner or later they were going to end up glued to each other, like they were one single thing.

"She's devastated. She literally closed herself off, not talking, not eating… were they close? Her mother and her?" Sam passed a hand over his face, sighing heavily.

"I met Mrs. McGregor during the teacher-parent meetings and she seemed like a nice person, very attentive to her daughter's needs. And I never heard a bad word coming from Allison's mouth about her parents… they looked like a normal family. But nothing will ever be normal for them again…" Deeks' fingers ran through his hair as a yawn escaped his mouth.

"You need to rest Shaggy." Kensi told him. Her hands wanted to reach his, but she fought the instinct to do it. "It's been a rough day for you."

"Yours was not much better." He replied softly, using his distinctive mellow tone.

Once again, Sam and Callen felt like they didn't exist. It was frustrating because they could see the old spark between their friends, but they didn't know what to do to give them the needed push to take a step towards the next level.

"Ok, you are both exhausted and need sleep. So, I suggest that we all go to the safe house where you two can rest while Sam and I relieve Jason and Nell… and speaking of her…" The team leader handed his phone to his female teammate. "…you better call her to tell her how you're feeling. She was deadly worried when we received that call."

"Oh, no… no way. She's going to kill me. As much as Hetty is going to skin me alive for destroying my car!" Kensi hadn't finished talking yet when Callen's phone rang. She looked at the ID and started shaking her head.

"Come on, Fern. It's Nell… don't tell me you're afraid of her." Deeks found the whole situation amusing.

"Laugh as much as you can Shaggy boy, because you haven't met Nell 3.0. A lot of things have changed since you left with the team and you don't know what she is capable of!" The brunette realized that maybe her choice of words was not the most appropriate and she saw her former partner's smile drop in a blink of an eye. It was just a moment, because he immediately forced himself to smile again, but she knew she had hurt him. _Stupid!_ She yelled to herself… _how could you be so stupid! You know how much it hurt him to leave the team, why did you have to remind him?_ Before she could say anything else to apologize, Callen passed her the phone and she started talking to Nell. Her eyes watched Deeks turn his head away, leaning it against the backseat while his eyelids dropped, blocking out even possible eye contact, blocking out the entire world from him.

The two senior agents saw the entire scene and even if they didn't say anything, they understood what happened. They glanced at each other, shaking their heads. They had thought that things could finally go back to normal, back to the way they were three years ago, but it probably was not possible.

When Kensi gave him back his phone without a single word, Called sighed heavily. "Come on, let's go to the safe house. The morning is not so far and maybe things will look better."

Everyone got in the car and silently they headed towards their destination.


	6. Chapter 6

It's time for a new chapter. Thank you for sticking around. As always I can only appreciate it.

And once again I need to thank purecraziness for her precious help.

* * *

><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 6<p>

In spite of her protest and her desire, as soon as Callen started the engine of his car, Kensi fell asleep, exhausted after the car chasing, the accident, and being roughed up by the bad guys.

Deeks watched her from the rear view mirror; finally relaxing when her eyes closed and she fell into Morpheus' arms. He was still a bit mad at her because of her unintentional comment, but the worry for her was bigger. Man, he had missed her so much, but he hadn't missed this, the endless fear that something might happen to her. For three years he had thought that if she was out of his sight, that if he forgot about her, she would be safe. He hoped that not knowing would make him feel better, but today he realized that he was being a fool, an idiot.

He took a long deep breath, realizing that Callen was staring at him with his unfathomable look.

"So, new car…" The ex-cop started, casting a curious stare at the new Mercedes. "You behaved very well if Hetty allowed you to have a new one."

"Well, I think she didn't have a choice, since my old car was blown up by a bomb." The team leader remarked dryly, remembering the event that had led to the explosion.

Deeks frowned, biting his lip. He didn't have to feel so bad about this information, but he did. Deep down it was like he had failed his friends by not being there with them when they needed it, when he had simply walked away from them to start his new life. "I'm… sorry." He murmured as the words left his mouth almost unconsciously.

"You're sorry for what? It wasn't your fault that a psycho wanted to get rid of us while we were investigating him." Callen's voice softened a little as he sighed heavily.

The former detective moved his eyes to the window and stared blankly outside.

"Deeks, you should have called us. We're your friends… we could have helped." Sam intervened, putting a hand of Deeks' shoulder from his seat. "You disappeared for three years. I had to stop Michelle from asking her CIA contacts because she wanted to check on you."

The teacher chuckled and his eyebrow lifted.

"Hey, you know what I mean… don't play with my words Shaggy!" The ex-Seal scolded him, but he couldn't suppress a smile himself. He missed having Deeks around; he missed his bad jokes, his silly grin, and his inappropriate comments. But mostly, he simply missed him. "I still think that you should have called us… once in a while! Kensi drove us crazy. Do you know how long it took her to accept Price and the idea of having a new partner?"

The ex-cop was hit where it hurt the most and reacted consequently, becoming tense. "You were doing so well, Sam… you shouldn't have brought that up. It's not fair at all!" His expression was hard and his jaw clenched. They didn't know anything about what he went through and why he had to step away from everything and everyone, so why did Sam have to judge him? This made him simply mad. Nervously, he shifted in his seat, but he regretted immediately when his knee first and his whole body then, made themselves noticeable. In spite of his mere attempt, he hissed and winced in pain.

"Hey, you ok?" Callen asked, his voice filled with concern. He laid a hand on the ex-cop's arm but the younger man wriggled from his touch.

"I don't need your pity, Callen… or anyone else's!" Deeks snapped angrily, unable to look at his former teammates.

"It's not pity, Deeks. It's called concern… for a friend." Sam told him, once again trying to reach him, looking for a physical contact that could, hopefully, calm the younger man down. He could see how upset the ex-cop became and making him uncomfortable was the last thing the ex-Seal wanted.

"A friend? Slamming Kensi in my face is not what a friend should do! Reminding me that I failed…"

"Failed? What the hell are you talking about? We were just freaking worried about you. Damn it, Deeks… you disappeared without a word for three years. If it weren't for this case, we wouldn't have met! We wanted to help, but you shut us off… all of us." Sam could see how his words were affecting his friend; he could see how his shoulders hunched under an invisible burden. "You know we would have been there for you, whatever you needed… you should have allowed us in."

Deeks felt something crack inside of him. The thick wall he had built around himself as protection crumbled to pieces in a blink of an eye. What he tried to avoid for years was now hitting him harder and harder, overwhelming him, taking his breath away. He tried to open his mouth, to say something, but words died in his throat. "I… I…" His eyes landed on Kensi's sleeping form and his heart skipped a beat, his mouth became even drier than before. Why was it so difficult? Everything was going great. He had a new life, he was finding his way through this new page of the book of his life… why was this happening? Why couldn't he close this chapter and forget about it? The past he wanted so bad to leave behind was simply catching up on him and he couldn't do anything to escape it, to get away from it.

"Look, we can understand that you needed time, but… three years is a long time." Callen said. He was supposed to be reassuring, but it seemed that his words only unsettled the ex-cop even more.

"And what do you know about it? Have you ever had your entire life taken away from you? Have you ever felt like there was nothing left for you? Have you ever felt…" Deeks paused, inhaling deeply, closing his eyes and clenching his fists. "Have you ever felt completely useless?" There was a deep sorrow in his blue eyes, illuminated by the first light of dawn, a consuming sense of loneliness.

Silence fell in the car, when neither Callen nor Sam knew how to reply to him. The humming sound of the car mixed with the rhythmic beating of their hearts, driving their minds away, looking for answers that they couldn't give their friend. He was right, they couldn't understand what he went through, what he was still going through, so they were not in any position to judge his behavior, the way he chose to face things.

"You can't understand…" The teacher's hand moved unconsciously towards his knee, massaging it in a comforting gesture.

"You're right, we can't understand… we only miss you, we miss a friend, a part of our family. Is it so bad?" Sam finally found the courage to tell him with such a raw honesty that a little smile curled Deeks' lips.

"No, not at all…" The former detective turned his head to face Callen first, then the ex-Seal. "I… I didn't know what to do with my life. It hurt, it hurt so much knowing that everything I had was gone. I… I needed to step away, for my own sanity." There were tears in his eyes, but he tried hard to not shed them, even if his voice broke more than once.

"You were wrong though…" The team leader locked his blue eyes on Deeks', reading his surprise and questioning expression. "Not everything you had was gone. We are still here…" A cunning grin appeared on his face, a grin that slowly turned into a smile and then into a laugh.

The ex-cop was shocked for a moment, not understanding what was happening, but then he started laughing himself, followed by Sam. It was contagious and the three men couldn't stop.

"Man, I missed this…" Deeks finally said, forcing himself to regain some sort of composure.

The ex-Seal placed a hand on his neck, in the typical brotherly way that had become so common between them in the past. "You don't have to miss it anymore. You're here now… and we're not going to let you out of our sight so soon."

The blond ex-cop felt almost overwhelmed by the emotions. He had tried so hard, with everything he had, to stay away from these people, because it hurt too much, but he realized that shutting the best thing that had ever happened to him off hadn't been a smart move. In the past three years, he had found a new balance, but deep down he knew that he was missing something, that he was not whole anymore. It took him just a few minutes with these people to understand why.

Deeks was ready to reply to the two senior agents, when a muffled voice coming from behind asked, "What are you guys laughing at? What did I miss?" Kensi straightened up herself, stretching her legs and arms. Instinctively, her eyes looked into the rear view mirror, searching for her ex-partner's blue orbs. She found him staring at her with his intense gaze that she barely managed to resist.

The teacher gave her a sweet, kind smile, licking his lips with his tongue. "Welcome back, Kensalina…" He murmured, mesmerized by her gaze, unable to turn his eyes away.

She realized that something must had happened, because there was a different light in his expression, something that was definitely missing just a few hours ago… and whatever had happened, was something good, because his ocean blue orbs were shining like she remembered they could shine and brighten even the darkest hours. "Welcome back, Deeks." She told him, seeing him nod lightly and smile at her. She couldn't remember this happy of a day in a long, long time. "Welcome back." She repeated, whispering, so only he could hear her words.

The former detective continued looking at her and in a single moment, all the pain and all the suffering were behind his back. How could he be so stupid to think that he would be able to live away from these people, away from her? It was time to make up for the lost time… it was time to start giving a new sense to his life again.

* * *

><p>The safe house was an anonymous apartment in an anonymous building in a quiet area of Los Angeles. White walls, a little garden around it, a quiet neighborhood… nothing that could point to the bad guys that in one of these apartments there were Captain McGregor and his daughter along with a bunch of NCIS agents.<p>

When Deeks saw the place, he couldn't help but smile. What was better than an anonymous and dull place to hide someone? Laboriously, he got out of the car, grabbing his crutches and walking slowly towards the entrance.

"Please, tell me there's an elevator… a service elevator… a hydraulic lift… anything…" He asked to no one in particular, looking skeptically at the five-story building in front of him.

"Yes, there's an elevator, Deeks, but I'm sorry… it's out of commission." Callen told him in a mix of amusement and concern. It was fun to joke with his former teammate and it felt really good doing it after so much time, but at the same time, he knew that Deeks was really in pain, that his knee had taken a lot of abuse lately and for sure, it wouldn't be a joke for him to get to the third floor using the crutches.

"Perfect, this day already started magnificently!" The blond teacher exclaimed, shaking his head as he started moving slowly into the building.

"Hey, if you want I can take you in my arms and lead you upstairs," Sam suggested to him, knowing that this was exactly what the younger man didn't want at all. He pretended to get closer and move to hold him.

"Don't you dare get any closer!" Deeks lifted one of the crutches, threatening the ex-Seal with a firm expression planted on his face.

Kensi observed the whole scene, unable to suppress a little chuckle because, as always, Deeks was so cute when he was in a spot, but on the other hand, she wanted to help him; she knew that it was not going to be easy for him. She knew how much pain he was in and how much he was trying to hide it. Too bad for him, he couldn't hide anything from her, even after all this time they had been out of touch. "Come on, Shaggy boy. Let's go up together. Slowly… very slowly." She pretended to cringe in pain, just for him, to not make him feel bad because of his injury.

And her former partner appreciated her effort. Actually, he didn't expect this. He thought that she might joke with him as much as his older friends had done, but she had been unexpectedly accommodating and supportive. He nodded gratefully, and then a smirk appeared on his face. "I am not dying, am I? Because seriously, you being so nice to me. Are you hiding something from me? Do you know something I don't?"

His voice had that teasing note that Kensi knew so well and that deep down, she loved so much. "No, you're not dying… yet!" She winked playfully, moving closer to him, brushing his arm in the process.

Deeks' lips curled into a smile before his whole body was coursed by an electrical discharge as soon as her silky skin grazed his. It was just a brief second, but the longing, the craving for this kind of emotions, of sensation engulfed him. Still smiling, he started the long climb; almost ignoring the screams his aching body was sending him, ignoring the searing agony radiating from his injured knee. It was like her simple and almost silent presence next to him, gave him strength, and gave him extra energy he didn't even imagine to have left.

Kensi watched him put one foot in front of the other as he climbed the stairs. She didn't know what she was feeling right now - pride, happiness or guilt and sadness. Maybe it was just a mix of all of them. For sure she couldn't take away from her face the silly smile, because he was here, with her, again, like old times. She was aware that things were different right now, that they weren't the same people they were three years ago, but maybe this was not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe this was just the destiny telling them that they could have a new chance, a new opportunity… maybe it was their opportunity for a fresh start. Instinctively, she placed her hand on his back, like she wanted to support him, but maybe it was just a silent way to let him know that she was there, for him, in spite of everything, no matter what happened and no matter what was going to happen. She was there, for him… for them.

The moment her hand landed on his back, the ex-cop knew he was toast, he knew that there was nothing he could do to hide his feelings anymore. His whole body reacted and like a teenager, he had butterflies in his stomach. Like a teenager, his mouth became dry, just because of her. Abruptly, he stopped, turning to face her, her face that was just mere inches away from his. Her scent invaded his nostrils inebriating him, making his heart beat faster, so fast that it was ready to explode. Without saying a single word, he moved even closer to her, their eyes locked, lost in each other's.

"Kens, I…" He murmured, leaning towards her, entering in her vital space, dangerously close.

Their lips was almost locked, their noses grazing each other.

"Ssshhh don't say anything." She placed a finger on his lips, attracted by them, like a magnet. Three years of not knowing, three years of distance were suddenly forgotten. All that mattered to her right now was here, in front of her, looking at her with his deep, ocean blue eyes, like nothing else existed for him. Kensi had always had a hard time understanding how he could make her feel like this. She was naked in front of him, no barriers, no shields, and no walls. In front of him, she was just a girl… a girl in love. She bit her lip nervously, fighting the urge to jump on him, because she wanted to taste every second, every moment… God, how much she missed him. They had been so stupid, so stubborn. Gently, she brushed a golden lock away from his forehead and his head leaned towards it, longing for her touch. Her fingers lost themselves in his hair, slowly pulling him towards her…

"Deeks!" A new voice shouted excitedly. "Oh my God, Deeks, you're here!"

Nell rushed down the stairs and Kensi and Deeks barely managed to break apart before she literally jumped on the blond former detective, hugging him.

"Hey Velma," the ex-cop greeted her, leaning against the wall to support himself, casting an apologizing stare at his former partner in the meantime, embarrassed and mostly disappointed because of the interruption. He loved Nell like a little sister, but he was right in the middle of something much more important.

Kensi smiled shyly, shaking her head. She was aware how much the petite analyst had missed Deeks and how enthusiastic she usually was in expressing her happiness. The NCIS agent couldn't say she was happy, but she understood. She nodded at Deeks and slowly climbed the last steps to walk inside the apartment.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Nell held her arms tightly around her friend's body, unable to stop herself because of her joy.

The ex-cop couldn't do anything other than hiss in pain when every bruise and every cut decided to make itself noticeable.

"Oh God, Deeks, I'm sorry… I am so sorry…" The analyst literally jumped away, ashamed, playing with her hands nervously. "I… I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't think, I was… I was just happy to see you and I didn't remember about…" Suddenly, she noticed the bruises on his face, the little cuts, the paleness of his skin. "I'm so stupid, please forgive me…"

Deeks leaned one of the crutches against the wall and with his free arm guided the petite redhead towards him. "It's ok, Nell… I am happy too." He murmured softly, meaning every word he said. It was impossible to stay mad at Nell, simply impossible.

She was still engulfed in his embrace, when she wriggled away, standing as tall as she could in front of him. "I am so mad at you! Why the hell did you disappear for so long? And seriously, what were you thinking, risking your life like you did? Do you have an idea of how many people care about you? Darn, Deeks…" She was yelling, but at the same time she had tears in her eyes, tears that she wiped away at light-speed so no one could see them. "Now, go inside and sit down… Man, I am so mad at you!"

A smile crept on his lips as he felt a sense of familiarity that he hadn't felt in a long time. Slowly, he started walking towards the apartment and passing by the analyst he whispered in her ears, "Thanks mum…"

As soon as he stepped inside though, he was exhausted. The climb had tired him more than he wanted to admit and everything happened in the previous day and the fact that he hadn't slept in more than twenty-four hours was taking a toll on him. If he added the fact that he hadn't been sleeping very well in the last period, it wouldn't be such a shock that he was almost dead on his feet.

"Deeks, sit down…" Kensi's worried voice told him as she approached to guide him to the couch. She saw his face became pale, paler than before, while his eyes rolled back. "Deeks!" She cried out, rushing towards him and holding him before he could fall to the floor.

Immediately called by the scream, Callen and Sam joined them and helped their teammate place the ex-cop on the couch, careful to not touch his leg too much.

Jason came out of one of the rooms and Nell was at her friend's side in a blink of an eye.

"Deeks… Deeks!" Kensi called his name again.

"Do I have to call a doctor?" Price asked. From the moment the former detective showed up at Montgomery High School, he had felt a bit left out. He understood, he truly did, but he couldn't hide the fact that he didn't like it too much. At least if he made himself useful, he wouldn't feel completely out of place.

"No, no doc at all…" Deeks slurred, blinking repeatedly. "Maybe if you give me some space, I will be able to breathe." He added, attempting to sit up, but everything started spinning again.

"Wow, slow down champion!" Sam pushed him back to the couch. "You need to rest… for real. It's been a rough day."

"Tell me about it." The ex-cop muttered, licking his lips.

"Here, drink this." Nell passed him a glass of fresh water that he picked up with trembling hands.

"Thanks…" The water refreshed his dry throat, making him feel already better. He closed his eyes, realizing for the first time how worn out he was. "Did I… overdo it?" He asked with a child-like voice.

Kensi sat next to him, passing a hand through his hair, uncaring of what her friends might say or think. "Overdid it? Understatement of the century…"

"Yeah, maybe a little bit…" Deeks was lulled by his ex-partner's gentle and slow gestures. His eyelids became heavier and heavier, and before he could even realize it, he fell asleep.

"About time." Callen sighed in relief. "I thought he was never going to get some rest. It's been a very rough day."

"Yes, it was." Kensi echoed, sighing herself.

"Kensi, you should get some rest as well. It wasn't a rough day only for Deeks." Sam placed a hand over her shoulder, sensing the tension gripping her muscles. "Everything ok?" He wondered, masking his concern with a little smile.

She cast one last glance at the sleeping form of her partner, former partner to be precise, and nodded. "Yes, now I am ok." Once again, she brushed Deeks' hair in a tender gesture that helped relax even herself. Her expression softened and she looked like, for the first time in a long, long time, she was at peace.

Callen, Sam, and Nell exchanged a knowing glance, observing the whole scene in silence, until the petite analyst finally said, "Get some rest yourself Kens… it looks like that couch has place for the both of you." She patted her friend's back and then walked away, immediately followed by the two senior agents and Jason.

Kensi took a long, deep breath before finding a place next to Deeks, snuggling next to him. She closed her eyes and before she could even realize it, she was sound asleep too.

* * *

><p>The sound of dishes and pans being moved awoke him along with the inviting smell of food and freshly brewed coffee. Every part of his body protested when he tried to move, but Deeks forced himself to sit up on the couch. He reached for the crutches and laboriously he managed to stand up, even if a bit unsteadily, and walk towards the kitchen.<p>

"Smells good." He told Sam, who was busy cooking, wearing a white apron that was white no more.

"Wait until you taste it." The ex-Seal continued what he was doing, but at the same time cast a scrutinizing glance at his friend. "How are you feeling?"

The ex-cop took place on one of the stools next to the kitchen island and, passed a hand over his sleepy face. "Sore, but better. How long was I out?"

"Almost twelve hours. You were out cold, sleeping like a baby." Without any warning, Sam placed a plate full of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of the former detective. "You need to eat."

"I need a coffee." Deeks hadn't finished talking when a cup of fuming coffee was laid in front of him.

"Now, you're speaking my language." A big grin brightened Deeks' expression as he literally launched on the cup and avidly drank the hot liquid. "Where are the others?" He asked, moving his attention to the food. He hadn't realized until a few seconds ago, but he was literally starving.

"Nell and Jason are back to Ops, Callen is searching the perimeter while Kensi is in the shower. And before you even ask, yes, she slept as well."

The ex-Seal's words relaxed the ex-cop, Kensi needed some rest as much as he did so he was glad that she had listened to her body for once. "Good. What about the Captain and Allison? How are they holding on?"

Sam sighed heavily, taking a seat right in front of his friend. "It's very bad, obviously. They both took it very bad… the Captain feels responsible and he's ready to do everything those men are going to ask him. We are trying to convince him that this is not the right solution, but you can imagine… he is determined to protect his daughter. He barely moves away from her, afraid that someone could kidnap her… or hurt her."

"And what about Allison?" Deeks straightened up in his stool, eager to receive some news about the young girl. She was one of his most brilliant students, a smart girl with a very active mind. Since the first day, he had taken her under his protective wing, obviously without making favorites, but he always tried to help her when she asked for something that could help her improve. It had been exactly for this reason that he gave her his book, to help her with her essay. A sad smile curled his lips, remembering that that same book had been lost during the fight against Allison's kidnappers… that book had a special meaning for him and knowing that it went lost saddened him. But it had been worth it, because the girl was safe and not in the hands of the bad guys or worse.

The ex-cop knew that this moment must be incredibly hard for Allison and he would like to do something to help her, once again.

"She… she's not talking. She closed into herself and after the first moments, she even stopped crying. Only her father is able to let her say a few syllables, but she is shutting off even him." Sam passed a hand over his face. This case hit him very close to home. He put himself in Captain McGregor's shoes and sincerely, it wasn't a nice experience. Only the idea of losing Michelle and putting his daughter in danger made him sick.

"Where is she?" The ex-cop asked, looking for his crutches and standing up.

"They are both in the second room on the left. Captain McGregor is probably trying to make her sleep. She hasn't done it too much lately and when she manages to rest a bit, she wakes up screaming, completely terrified." The ex-Seal picked up his friend's empty plate, nervously playing with the fork. "If we knew that video was so brutal… we… a girl shouldn't see her mother die in that way."

Deeks stood there for an endless second, in silence, then nodded gravely. "No one should…" And with that he turned on his heels and headed to the room his friend had indicated to him. Once he was in front of the door, for a moment, he felt like an intruder, stepping into what might be a private moment between a father and his daughter. A sense of uneasiness hit him in the pit of his stomach… or was something else? For a brief second, he tried to remember if his father ever did something like the Captain was doing for Allison, if his father ever did something caring for him. He remembered as a young kid, he always waited impatiently for his father's return from work, lying on the carpet in front of the couch drawing and coloring to kill the time and to create something special for him. His mother's calming, singing voice coming from the kitchen, was the best music for his ears. The moment the door opened, he rushed towards his father, to hug him and to be hugged back… but then after dinner the shouts started. His mother was not singing anymore, but was only crying while his dad yelled at her, slapping her and beating her. As the months passed, there were no more hugs, no more singing… just pain, heavy beatings, and desperation. His father never used his arms to hug him anymore, but only his fists to beat him senseless.

Deeks shook his head to get away from the haunting memories, swallowing hard to regain a bit of control of his emotions. He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath, before knocking at the door.

After a few seconds, Captain McGregor opened it, standing in front of him. He looked so different from the man the ex-cop met at school just one day ago. That man was worried for his daughter, concerned about his safety, but he still had a light in his hazel eyes. The man standing in front of Deeks right now, looked more like an empty shell, with no soul, with no energy… nothing left.

"Mr. Deeks…" McGregor took a moment to study the former detective who probably looked terribly, because his first instinct was to guide him inside and indicate to him a couch to sit on. "Please, come in… I… I heard what happened to you and your… and to the other agent. I am… I am so sorry…" His voice cracked and tears formed in his eyes.

"Please, don't. I am the one who's sorry for your loss." Deeks rushed to say. He didn't want to add guilt to the grief of the other man.

"It's… I… I don't know… she's gone. My Julie is gone." McGregor buried his face in his hands, sobbing, as his whole body shook from trembling. "What am I going to do? She…" He turned to cast a glance at his daughter's sleeping form as a bitter smile formed on his lips. "She is not taking it very well… she doesn't want to talk and I… I don't know what to do."

The ex-cop observed the way the other man's eyes seemed to brighten as he spoke about Allison, like she was the only thing that kept him going. "She is in shock… in the last twenty-four hours she has been through a lot, more than she deserves. She needs time, but you have to stay strong for her."

"I need to give those men what they want so they will leave my family alone!" The Captain snapped as his voice became louder.

"They won't stop. Now you give them what they want and they will leave you alone for a while, then when they want something else, they will come to you again. They know that you'd do everything to keep Allison safe and they'll just take advantage of this… it will never end unless they get tired…"

"So let them get tired because when they do, they will leave us alone. Finally…" McGregor moved closer to Deeks, pointing his finger to the ex-cop's chest, pushing him against the wall.

The former detective hissed in pain because of the sudden movement, almost tripping and falling, but fortunately his back leaned against the wall that he could use to support himself. "When they get tired, they will kill you… and Allison. People like them don't leave witnesses behind, don't leave anyone who can send them to jail behind. People like them kill easily, without remorse." Deeks' voice was surprisingly calm but deep inside he could feel the turmoil in the other man's soul. He knew that he was pushing the Captain into a dangerous mine field, but the man needed to see things straight, needed to hear the truth.

McGregor's face paled, realizing what the blond man had just told him, understanding the meaning of his words. In that moment, his world went to pieces because he was aware that there was no escape for him and for Allison until those men were brought to justice. His legs failed him and he would have fallen to the floor if it weren't for the couch that was just behind him. "Oh my God… oh my God…"

Deeks slowly joined him, sitting right next to him. "If you help us, cooperate with NCIS, we… they can stop those people. They can protect you and Allison and trust me, they are the best."

The man remained silent for a moment, like he was debating on his next move, struggling with an important decision that could change his whole life and his daughter's. Once again, he looked at the king size bed where Allison was sleeping. "Will you… can you promise me that nothing will happen to her?"

"I can assure you that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe."

McGregor nodded gravely, sighing heavily. "I appreciate your honesty… and I know you'd do that. You've already done so much for her… for me. I… don't know what I would have done if those men took her. She… she is my whole life." There was such a sweet and desperate note in his voice, something that touched Deeks deep in his soul.

He would have paid to have had the chance to feel this kind of paternal love, but… He bit his lip to stop thinking about himself, to stop being selfish. No matter what was going to happen, he would take care of Allison and would do everything he could to assure that her father was safe as well. She needed him as much as he needed her. "Why… why don't you go talk to Agent Hanna. He's in the kitchen and he, more than anyone, is able to understand what you're going through. As soon as Callen get back, I am sure they will find a good plan to help you…"

The Captain turned his head to cast a glance at Allison, like he was finding extremely hard to leave his daughter.

"Don't worry, I won't let her out of my sight. I promise." The ex-cop told the other man firmly, offering his hand to shake.

Again, McGregor nodded. "Thank you." Tears rolled down his face as he shook Deeks' hand. Then, reluctantly, he got up, moved to his daughter and kissed her on her forehead. "Sleep tight, sweetie. Everything will be ok. Daddy won't let anything happen you." He gave her one last caress and then walked towards the door. His eyes crossed with the ex-cop's and now more than ever, he knew that this was the best choice. He was doing it for his daughter and nothing was more important than her. Inhaling deeply, he then stepped out.

Deeks held his crutches and slowly started walking towards the bed, heavily sitting on it. "You heard your father," he started. "Nothing will happen to you…" He didn't expect what happened next.

Allison abruptly sit up, throwing her arms around his neck, and started sobbing uncontrollably. "Thank you, Mr. Deeks. Thank you for making him reason…" She told the ex-cop between sobs.

"What… how…"

"I heard you two talking… I… I didn't know what to do to shake him, he didn't want to listen. He was so focused… but you…" She couldn't hold on anymore and she burst out crying loudly now.

"It's ok, Allison. It's ok… I'm here, it's ok." Deeks murmured, holding the teenager and making slow circles on her back to calm her down.

"Please, don't leave me… please, I'm scared…" she whispered with a shaky voice.

The teacher felt a pang in his stomach at her words. To an outsider, these could sound the words of a teenager who had a crush on her teacher, but he knew that this had nothing to do with what was happening right now. Allison needed a figure that represented stability and strength in this moment of uncertainty, in this moment in which she might lose herself in her pain and Deeks was exactly what he represented for her, especially after his stunt the previous morning. For her, he was like a hero and his mere presence could help her feel a bit better. At this point, he was not ready to deny her a bit of hope, a bit of peace. "I know you're scared. Now lie down and sleep. I will be here… I'm not going anywhere."

Reassured by his presence and by his soothing tone, Allison sank into the mattress, closed her eyes and fell asleep, feeling finally safe.


	7. Chapter 7

As usual thank you for reading, reviewing and following this story. I appreciate it more than you can imagine.

And I can't stop thanking purecraziness for her more than precious help. I'd be lost without her.

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><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 7<p>

As soon as Nell and Jason stepped through the sliding doors of Ops, Eric rushed towards them, unable to hide his excitement.

"So?" He asked, nervously playing with the tablet in his hands.

"So what?" The petite analyst frowned. She had a slight idea of what her friend was questioning her about it, but she wanted to keep him a little bit on edge.

"Oh come on, Nell…. Deeks! Have you seen him? How is he doing? Is he…" The tech saw the expression on his partner-in-crime's face and stopped talking, sighing a bit irritated. "Fun, that's really fun, Jones."

"Oh come on, Eric. It was really fun…" She told him, smiling amused, then her expression softened and her voice became serious. "And answering your questions, yes, I saw him. He's doing… well considering everything that has happened to him in the last couple of days. And is he going to stick around? That's a hard question, but I have the sensation that we might see him more often in the near future."

Eric frowned, surprised and almost horrified by the fact that Nell had read what was going through his mind and had known what he wanted to ask, but her answers relaxed him, in a certain way, and made his heart a bit lighter. "Kensi?"

"Yep, Kensi…" The smile on the analyst and occasional field-agent's face, was open and a bit mischievous.

"I truly hope she can… work on him." The tech sighed heavily, feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time. He had suffered when Deeks decided to step out on them, missing him terribly, missing his surfing buddy. He knew that he was selfish… he didn't even know if the ex-cop could actually surf after the incident, but for sure, he missed him, as a friend. "How's he doing? A real answer this time…"

Nell took a long deep breath, aware that she couldn't hide anything from Eric, because he simply knew her too well. In the past, she had a little crush on him, probably corresponded, but as the time passed by they had both realized that they were more like brother and sister and they were both ok with it. "He's in pain, that's for sure. Those men beat him pretty hard while attempting to kidnap Allison. They hurt his knee, again. Kensi said that he needed to have a quick surgery that sadly was very painful. Then there was the car accident and I think that what happened next brought both Kensi and Deeks back to three years ago. I could see it in their eyes."

"But this time at least he's not alone. He has all of us and we're going to kick him in his ass if he doesn't want to… cooperate."

The petite analyst placed a hand on Eric's forearm, a clear sign that told him that she was with him, 100%.

Jason once again felt a bit left out, mostly because he didn't know what they were talking about. Deeks had always been a taboo subject during the conversations with the team and especially with Kensi. He only knew that the cop had been injured during an operation and that injury had forced him to leave the job and the whole team behind. From bits here and there, he found out that Deeks had disappeared from their lives and this had caused more than one problem to the team that had struggled to regain its balance. "Ok, these cryptic conversations are becoming a bit creepy for me. Can one of you tell me exactly what the hell happened three years ago? Because sincerely, in the last couple of days, I've seen this team freak out as I've never seen in the whole time I've been here. I even saw Kensi on the edge of crying for God's sake!"

His little outburst shocked both Nell and Eric who probably didn't expect him to burst out like he did. Jason Price was a quiet man, never a word out of place, always calm and controlled, always following the rules and strict to the job. Seeing him so upset, was new to them and a complete surprise.

Eric cast a glance at Nell before he started talking, but it seemed that words died in his throat. "I… I…"

"Oh come on, Eric, I don't think it's such a big deal. Do you want me to start digging through file reports?" Price said, losing a bit of his patience. It was not only for curiosity that he wanted to know, but mostly because he feared that the fact that Deeks was on board on this case could destabilize the team. And in their line of duty, having the mind distracted might become something very dangerous.

"I… I am not sure it's our story to tell, that's it." Nell told him, hoping that he would drop the subject.

"Oh no… it's your story to tell. Hell, you owe me an explanation, especially after even Hetty allowed Deeks to work on this case." Jason snapped.

"Well, in this case you should talk directly to me, Mr. Price." Hetty intervened, appearing almost magically out of nowhere from behind the agent's back.

"Oh, Hetty… hey… you…"

"Mr. Price, I think it's time you join me in my office where we can have a little chat." The Operations Manager cast a scolding stare at Eric and Nell. "And you two better continue working on the footage of Miss Blye's and Mr. Deeks' car accident. We need to find out who these people are before they make their next move. Don't let me remind you, that a lot of lives are on stake."

"Yes, of course… I mean, ok… we are already doing it." The tech lowered his head so his eyes were on his tablet as he started tapping on it.

Nell almost chuckled because of his funny reaction. Even after all these years, Eric hadn't learned yet how to reply to Hetty's threats. It was always fun to see him walking on eggshells, afraid that she could skin him alive. "Don't worry Hetty. Eric told me while I was coming here, that he had managed to find the plate of one of the vans that caused the accident. It's already on Kaleidoscope."

The Operation Manager nodded, smiling pleased. "Mr. Price, please follow me." She walked out of the room and Jason followed her as requested. He cast one last glance at Nell and Eric, feeling a bit guilty about his outburst, so he silently apologized to them; then he stepped through the door as well to follow his boss.

"Do you think it's right?" The tech asked his friend. "I mean… it's Deeks' story to tell… and Kensi's…"

"Eric, do you think that after the way those two acted around each other, Jason was going to watch without doing some research? We all know that he has been good and loyal enough until now to not read the file reports… if he wasn't the man we learnt to know in the past years, he would have already done that instead of simply taking what we told him." Nell paused, taking a long intake of breath. "I think he deserves to know." With that, she sat at her computer and silently started tapping on the keyboard, signaling that the conversation was over for her.

Eric bit his lip nervously, sighing. "Yeah… I'm just curious to know how he will react."

* * *

><p>"Mr. Price, please. Have a seat." Hetty didn't ask her agent. She was gently ordering him to sit in front of her. She could sense the tension running through the man's body but she didn't do anything to relax him. As she watched the young man occupy the vacant chair in front of her and as she poured herself a cup of tea, she took a moment to study him.<p>

Jason Price was a tall man, with very short dark hair and calming green eyes. His shoulders were broad and muscular, his arms were long. It was easy to recognize the Marine in him, if his body didn't betray him, it was his posture and the way he moved around and behaved. This was one of the reasons why Hetty had chosen him to replace Mr. Deeks after the accident, but the main one, was probably his good nature, his calmness, his reflectiveness, his lack of futile words. He didn't talk too much, but when he did, it was always to say something meaningful. Obviously, the fact that he was the complete opposite of the blond detective was another reason, but she never told that to anyone and she didn't plan to. She, as much as her team, didn't need a clone of Mr. Deeks. Actually, she was sure that someone like him couldn't even exist on the face of Earth, because the detective was simply one of a kind. The moment she had to find a replacement, she was aware that they needed someone who could do his job and who could have Miss Blye's back in the field without trying to outclass her, without engaging in a competition with her.

For the past two and a half years, the new partnership worked. Agent Price did his job egregiously and Kensi worked very well with him, even if she never opened up to him, at least not as much as she did with Callen and Sam and of course, not as she did with Deeks.

"Would you like a cup of tea, Mr. Price?" The Operations Manager offered.

"Yeah, why not?" The agent replied, reaching for the offered cup with his big, trembling hands.

Hetty smiled, amused, another difference… "Mr. Price, I heard you questioned Miss Jones and Mr. Beale about what occurred three years ago and about the fact that I allowed Mr. Deeks to work with the team on this case. Am I hearing a bit of judgment in your words? Do you think I shouldn't have allowed a civilian to work with us?"

"No, it's not like that. Come on Hetty, don't put words in my mouth! And I am not questioning your conduct."

"And I am sure you're wise enough to not do it," the diminutive woman sipped her tea, while her scrutinizing eyes stared at the man's green ones.

Jason felt cornered, knowing that his boss was playing with him, forcing him to say what was on his mind. One thing he learnt while working with Hetty Lange was no matter how hard you tried, you will never understand what she really thought and what she really wanted to achieve. Sighing heavily, he started talking. "I… I am just curious to know what happened to Detective Deeks… or Mr. Deeks. I am wondering what happened to affect the team in such a way. I've never seen my partner so off like I have seen her in the last couple of days. She was almost crying at some point and she is distracted… she's is not the Kensi I know. And the way Sam and Callen acted around him was surprising. They treated him like…"

"Family? An annoying little brother?" When Hetty saw that her agent was not going to answer her plainly, she decided to push him a little further. "Are you jealous of that kind of relationship, Mr. Price? Jealous of the fact that you never have had that kind of relationship with your teammates?"

"No! I'm far from being jealous… I know where my place is. I know that I am not… I'm not Deeks, they made it perfectly clear." He bowed his head, playing with his hands.

"Have they made you feel unwell or unwelcome? Have they treated you in a way that has offended you?"

"Hetty, like I said. I know my place and they didn't have to tell me a single word to show me what they were thinking about me. They welcomed me onto the team, they treated me honestly and fairly. Between you and I, this has been probably the best place I have ever worked, but… if before it was just my suspicion, the moment I saw Deeks, I knew. Since the beginning, I was aware that I had heavy shoes to fill, but I didn't expect them to be so heavy…" He talked with his deep, calm voice that could engulf a person like a fitting glove, like a warm embrace.

His voice had been the first thing that Hetty had noticed the first time she met Jason. "I am asking you again, are you jealous or annoyed because he is back?"

"None of them, Hetty, I'm just worried. I hope my team is not too distracted and unfocused because of his presence. I don't want them to risk more than they should to…"

"…to protect Mr. Deeks? I think he showed you how capable he still is. And every member of your team can do his job perfectly, trust me."

"But what about Kensi? What about her emotions? What if she doesn't have the mind on the case… she might be in danger. We all see what these men are capable of." Price stated firmly, his concern was true and transpired clearly from his words.

Hetty stared at him for a moment, without speaking a single syllable, then she got up and moved towards her chest of drawers, opening one of the bottom ones and picking up a vanilla folder. She walked back to her desk and placed it in front of her agent. "Here, this is the report file of what happened that day three years ago, the day that changed a lot of lives."

Jason hesitantly stretched his hand to reach the folder, but stopped abruptly. "If I wanted to read the folder, I would have done it a while ago."

"I am really well aware of this and I truly appreciate the fact that you never did it, that you respect your coworkers enough to not ask questions or look for answers on your own." The Operations Manager picked her cup up and once again sipped the fuming liquid, still locking her eyes on him. "But this is a different kind of report. You should open it."

Price bit his lower lip in a mix of anxiety and anticipation. He had been dreading to know since the first day he had put a foot in this office, but, out of respect towards the people he worked with who were not eager to share any details, he stopped asking. And now all the answers were there in his hands. He closed his eyes and after taking a long, deep breath, he opened the folder and started reading.

As the words flow, he started to understand why no one wanted to talk about it; he read about Kensi's and Deeks' abduction, about the… torture they were subjected to for information, about the way the cop had tried to protect his partner until the end. It was then that the photos showed up in front of his eyes and he had to take his glance away for a moment, cringing, when he saw the condition of Deeks' knee. Jason swallowed hard, understanding Kensi's guilt and her behavior, especially after reading the second part of the file, the one about the recovery, about the cop's decision to quit and disappear… about his new life as a teacher.

After more than half an hour, he closed the folder and handed it back to Hetty, unable to deny that he felt like someone had punched him in the stomach.

"So?" She asked cunningly.

"So what?" Jason didn't understand what she wanted him to say.

"So, do you still feel like Mr. Deeks needs protection? Are you still afraid, that they could do something stupid?"

Price, once again bowed his head, a bit ashamed. "I think that Deeks won't let anything happen to Kensi, injured or not. I think he will… even sacrifice himself to protect her." He paused to collect himself, because he knew that what he was going to say was hard for him. "And I think that they can work much better with Deeks around. I never realized how much they missed a part of their family."

Hetty smiled, nodding. "Do you know that there is a place in the family for you as well?"

Jason chuckled ironically. "I think you're wrong here. I will never be part of their family, like Deeks was… and still is. I still think they tolerate me rather than like me and maybe, only because you imposed me to them."

"And this is where you're wrong again. Do you really think that you've been the first agent assigned to this team? I think you haven't read the last sheet of that folder…" She stood up, moving around the desk, placing a hand of her agent's shoulder as he rushed to open the folder again. "Eleven agents, in three weeks. The one who last longer was here for five days. You've been here for more than two years and Miss Blye hasn't shot you yet, Mr. Hanna hasn't beat the shit out of you, and Mr. Callen didn't make you disappear. What do you think it means?" As her words lingered in the air, she walked away, leaving Jason alone, pondering on what he had just found out.

"They… they don't hate me." He sighed in relief and with a hint of satisfaction, feeling like a baby who had just received a gift. "They really don't hate me…" He leaned on the back of the chair and a big child-like smile brightened his expression and for once he lost his Marine composure, allowing himself to be just a man.

* * *

><p>Deeks had watched Allison sleep. Some moments she was peacefully still, her face didn't show any sign of worry. She was just a teenager dreaming of her first crush or of the way she was going to spend the night with her friends. Some other moments, her forehead started wrinkling and the girl thrashed and tossed, haunted by another nightmare. Every time that happened, the ex-cop put a calming hand on her face or took her hand in his. The simple touch usually calmed her, taking her back to a quiet and safe place.<p>

"You're really good," a soft, familiar voice told him as he leaned back in the chair he had been occupying for hours. "You've always been amazing with kids." There was a hint of melancholy in Kensi's words that didn't go missed by her former partner.

"You would be good as well if only you gave yourself a chance. I… I remember how good you were with that kid, the… Mexican guitarist. What was his name? Javier… right…" He paused, turning to look at her, to see her reaction. "And also with Astrid. You're not that bad yourself, Fern. Give yourself some credit."

Kensi smiled, that soft smile of hers, the same smile that Deeks had missed so much.

"Yeah, maybe… but I was a complete disaster when we babysat Sam's daughter. If you weren't there with me, I would have probably killed myself." Her eyes locked on his, remembering one of the many moments she had spent with her partner, one of the many moments she had kept very dear to her heart.

The ex-cop couldn't help himself and laughed, loud, putting a hand on his mouth so the sound didn't wake Allison up. "Hey, we're talking about Sam's daughter. She probably took the attitude from someone…" He muttered.

"You know I can tell Sam you said this!" Kensi took a chair and placed it next to his.

"Hey, I was talking about Michelle! That woman has such a temper!" He waved his hands in the air, in sign of surrender.

"You know that if I told her all of this, you should be miles away from here?"

"Nah, I know there would be a certain brunette, NCIS agent, ready to protect me… she would be my knight in shining armor." His whole expression was suddenly brightened up by one of his infamous grins.

"And what would this make you? The damsel in distress? But you know what? In my child dreams, all the damsels in distress had long blond hair and blue eyes. You fit the description very well!" She gave him a little flick on his leg without thinking, but as soon as his face contorted in pain, she froze, her whole body engulfed by the tension.

"Yeah, right now, I'm far from being the hero of the fairytales…" He murmured between ground teeth.

"Deeks…" Kensi tried to reach him, to touch him, but even if they were no more than a few inches away, he looked very distant, unreachable.

"I'm just saying the truth… just look at what happened with those guys. I couldn't stop them from hurting you and taking us captive. I am usel…" His eyes landed on his leg while his fingers clenched the fabric of his jeans.

"Hey, look at me." The NCIS agent moved closer to him, cupping his face and lifting it. "Don't you dare finish that sentence! You're far from being useless. You are doing an amazing job at school. I can see by the way Allison talked about you. She was literally thrilled when she was telling us about your lessons and mostly about how you saved her… If it wasn't for you, for your courage, she wouldn't be here and maybe she would be where her mother is."

"Yeah, but if I weren't there and maybe one of you were, the bad guys would be behind bars now, not running around ready to do whatever they are planning to do! If I were not there with you, maybe you would have been able to take them down when they attacked us… you felt obliged to protect me." His blue eyes were sad and filled with sorrow. "I'm just a burden… that's why I disappeared, because I didn't want to feel this way, because I didn't want your pity. Mine is enough."

It broke her heart seeing him like this, beating himself up for something that wasn't his fault. "You're such an idiot sometimes! How could you possible believe that? How could you possibly think you're a burden when you're the only person I'm not able to live without? Do you have any idea what these past three years have been for me? Not knowing where you were, what you were doing… I…"

"What? It's… so is this all about you now? You were the one who went through hell? Damn it, Kensi! Do you have the slightest idea of what these past three years have been like for me, for me, Kens? I had my whole life ripped away from me in a blink of an eye. In a moment, everything changed… in a moment, I lost everything!" His voice was getting louder and he was finding it hard to have complete control of his emotions, it was like he was finally releasing all the tension and all the suppressed feelings he had kept buried inside until now. "Do you have any idea what it means not to be able to run, to walk without that freaking stick, to do things that I usually did? Waking up in pain during the night because you have placed and put your leg in a different way, screaming in agony when you can't even move because everything hurts?" There were tears in his eyes, tears that he had held for too long.

"But you wouldn't have to go through that alone… we were there for you, we would have been there for you if you had allowed us…" She passed a hand over his cheek, gently caressing it, making him shiver. "I am still here, Deeks… and no matter how hard you try, I am not going to leave you alone this time. I made a mistake once, I thought that respecting what you wanted was the best thing for you, for me… for us, but… I was so damn wrong." She was whispering now, her face was just a mere inch away from him, her warm breath was like a caress. "I'm sorry, Deeks. I'm sorry I wasn't there, I'm sorry I was so stubborn, so selfish… so… self-centered to not see it. I could only feel my pain, my guilt, and I didn't think about you. Maybe it was just my way of protecting myself; in my mind you were happy… you were safe, safer away from me, but you know what? The moment I saw you in that ambulance yesterday morning, I knew that I was completely wrong on every front. I missed you… I missed my partner, my best friend, the only man who could make me laugh even when I'm sad, the only man who knows me more than I know myself, the only man that truly means the world to me… the man I…"

She was not able to finish the sentence because his lips found hers as he kissed her. At first it was a timid and chaste kiss, then when she started answering him, it became more passionate, more heated.

Deeks cupped her face and as soon as his mouth was on hers, an electrical discharge coursed through his whole body. He felt her fingers running through his hair and his desire grew exponentially. He had been waiting too long for this moment. Everything, every word, Kensi had told him, reflected exactly how he was feeling, how he had been feeling in the past few years. She was his whole world, period. He had thought that staying away from her was the right solution, but he had been terribly wrong. And like her, he had realized it the moment he saw her walk towards the ambulance, towards him. When his heart had skipped some beats, when her hands became suddenly sweaty and when he was aware that he was not in his right mind anymore.

When they didn't have any more air left in their lungs they broke apart, leaning their foreheads on each other's, their eyes locked on one another's.

"I take it that you missed me…" She told him, giving him a mischievous and cunning smirk.

"I was going to say the same of you, Kensalina."

"For sure I didn't miss your ridiculous nicknames!" She protested, placing the palm of her hand on his chest, right on his heart that was beating so fast.

"Nah, you love them." He kissed the top of her nose playfully. "And you missed them."

Her expression became serious and her fingers traced the line of his feature hidden behind his longer than usual scruff. "I missed you more." Without waiting for a reply or for one of his usual witty remarks, she guided his lips towards her and planted a soft kiss on them. There was not the desire and the passion of just a few minutes ago, but this kiss meant much more to her, to them, because it was full of love.

"About time you two kissed…" Allison murmured, waking up, rubbing her sleepy eyes with her hands. "The tension between you two was slowly killing me." A sad smile appeared on her face, for the first time in two days.

Deeks and Kensi broke apart, embarrassed because they had been caught. The ex-cop nervously scratched the back of his head, looking at his former partner with one eye, seeing her blush. She was so cute when she acted so girlish, something that didn't happen very often. "How are you feeling, Allison?"

The girl's expression darkened and the smile was gone. "I… better, I believe, but…" Her eyes watered and she braced herself, biting her lip. "I know that… my mum wouldn't like to see me cry like a baby, but… I.. I miss her. I miss her so much."

The ex-cop was surprised to see his former partner move towards Allison and guide her into an embrace. "I know, how you're feeling Allison. I know it's hard."

The girl sobbed, holding onto the agent's shirt. "Will it pass… the… the pain I feel here?" She indicated her heart with a trembling hand.

Kensi sighed heavily, gently brushing Allison's hair. "It… it will take time, and believe me, it will never go away, but only because you loved your mother and she loved you. That's why it hurts so much. But day after day, you will learn to go on, to move on with your life to become the woman she would have wanted you to become, to make her proud."

"Did you do the same?" The teenager asked with a broken voice.

Seeing Kensi's hesitation, Deeks intervened. "She did. Her father would be proud of her and I am sure that your mother will be proud of you as well one day. And she would want you to help your father, because he needs you as much as you need him. You two, together will make it. Together."

"Where's my dad now?" The girl wondered, moving away from Kensi's embrace as she tried to compose herself.

"He's with Sam and Callen. They went to the boatshed to talk to Hetty and one of your father's bosses, to discuss the secret project your dad is working on. They will be back soon, don't worry." The NCIS agent explained, smiling gently, sensing the tension in the young girl's shivering body. "Hey, don't worry. They will keep him safe. I promise you."

Allison silently nodded. She wanted to believe what Kensi was telling her, she needed to believe it, but after what happened to her mother, she was simply terrified at the idea of losing her father as well.

Sensing her struggle, Deeks got up from his chair and laboriously, using his crutches, moved towards the door. "So, what do you think about pancakes? I don't know about you, but I am starving. Kensalina, you up?"

The girl smiled at the sound of the cute nickname. "Kensalina?"

Kensi looked at her in a mix of horror, disgust, and amusement. "Please, don't ask…"

"Hey, you just confessed to me that you love my nicknames!"

"With some reservations, Deeks… and…" The NCIS agent was still talking with a silly grin on her face when the sound of a muffled explosion shook her body. "What the hell?!"

Allison screamed as pure terror literally paralyzed her.

Deeks made it just in time to look behind his shoulders and close the door before everything was engulfed by thick smoke. The unmistakable echoes of footsteps approaching resounded loud and clear in his ears. "Kensi! Allison!" He yelled, desperately trying to see the two women. His throat became dry, invaded by the smoke, and he couldn't stop himself from coughing, almost doubled over because of his burning lungs. His eyes started to water and he barely managed to keep them open. "Damn it! Tear gas!" He muttered.

"Deeks, are you ok?" Kensi's voice screamed, sounding so distant.

"I'm… I'm coming…" The ex-cop said, moving to where he supposed the bed was since seeing anything was impossible. His knee bumped on a piece of furniture and the pain exploded, reverberating through every nerve of his body, taking his breath away, but at least it helped to release the adrenaline that kept him focused. He moved a step after another and finally reached the two figures of Allison and Kensi crumpled near the bed.

The NCIS agent was keeping the girl's head low, hoping that she inhaled the smallest amount of gas, but they were both coughing, almost unable to keep their eyes open. "We need to get out of here!" She looked for Deeks' hand, wishing that the simple gesture could give her strength.

The former detective was about to reply to her, when he heard the door burst open and even with all the smoke and with his teary eyes, he could clearly distinguish the dark silhouettes of three masked, heavily armed men. "Oh shit!" He whispered, before another cough hit him again.


	8. Chapter 8

A big thank you to everyone who spent time reading this story, reviewing, follwing or favouriting it. I deeply appreciate it.

And I can't forget to thank purecraziness for her priceless help.

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><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 8<p>

The faces were dark and serious, no one dared to speak after they did for more than two hours and after the cards had been placed on the table. If they thought that things were bad before, now they were sure that things were even worse after hearing what Captain McGregor and his boss, Colonel Lockman, said.

The project the captain was working on could surely change the type of war or terroristic attack. It was created for good purposes, but in the wrong hands, it could become more than a lethal weapon.

"Now, you know why I was reluctant to divulge any information about the project." McGregor finally told them, sinking in the couch, burying his head between his hands.

"We are aware of this, Captain McGregor and we never questioned your loyalty and suspicion towards us." Hetty stated gravely, she seemed even shorter under the weight of the situation.

"Miss Lange, I hope that what transpired from this conversation won't leave this room. It has to remain among us and among us only. It's a matter of National Security." The Colonel moved his dark eyes from one person gathered in the room to another. He had the typical look of someone who had not been sleeping for days and of someone who didn't know what to do to make things better. "Peter, I can only imagine what you're going through, but we can't allow you to do anything that could endanger the US and all of the US citizens in the country or outside."

McGregor was shaking like a leaf, conflicted between his country's security and the safety of his own daughter, the only thing that truly mattered to him at the moment. "It's Allison, Jed, my Allison. They have already killed Julie… how… how could you ask me to decide? How could you ask me to give up on her? She's everything I have left and… I can't risk her getting hurt."

"Mr. McGregor I can assure you that we'll do everything we can to help you and to keep your daughter safe. We are already working on this. A couple of our agents will always be with her until we find the men responsible for all of this." Sam, feeling very emotionally close to the man, tried to comfort him, but at the moment it was very hard.

"Did you find my Julie?" The Captain suddenly asked, like he had not even listened to a word that the ex-Seal had said.

"My team is still trying to locate her, Mr. McGregor, but I promise you that we will get her back, so you and Allison will be able to properly take care of her." The Operations Manager was not lying. She had instructed Mr. Beale and Miss Jones to find Mrs. McGregor's body along with finding clues about the mysterious bad guys. These were their main goals right now.

"Allison? Are you sure she is safe? Are you sure that she is not in danger?" The Captain looked like he was in trance, his only thought was his daughter, his only obsession was her safety.

"She's with Kensi and Deeks at the moment. There are two agents outside the building and we will go back there soon… everything is under control." Sam's words seemed to finally reach the man that looked at him, nodding and sighing heavily.

"I must sound like a paranoid but… she is all of my life now and I wouldn't be able to live if something happened to her."

The ex-Seal placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. "I understand, I have a daughter myself." While talking to the Captain, his eyes landed on his partner who had been silent since the moment they found out about the secret project. "You ok, G?"

Hetty studied her senior agent with interest, recognizing from his expression, the worry he was feeling. "Mr. Callen, is there something bothering you?"

Now all the eyes were on Callen who looked at everyone, before taking a long deep breath. "There's something I don't get here."

The Operations Manager couldn't help herself but feeling her concern grow larger. It was not of her agent to be worried for silly things. If Mr. Callen was not convinced about something, well, something must be wrong. "Please, do tell, Mr. Callen."

"Colonel, you said that this project is super-secret, that only a few people are aware of the real extent of it, you said that even the majority of your own people don't know what it is about." The team leader started locking his blue eyes on Lockman's dark ones.

"Yes, it has the maximum level of security. The people involved in the project are trustworthy, their background checked periodically to see if there are anomalies…" The Colonel stopped, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "What are you implying, Agent Callen? That one of my men betrayed me, us… this project and this country? It's absurd! I can't believe it, not for a moment!"

"And if this project was so secretive, how did these people find out about it? How did they know that Captain McGregor was involved and was the main man in this game?"

No one was able to reply to Callen, everyone was processing his words.

"Not only they knew who he was, but they knew everything about him, about his family, where they live, where Allison goes to school… everything. This has been going on for a while. These people are very prepared, well trained, well armed. Until now we've been lucky…" The team leader was still talking when Captain McGregor stopped him, intervening vehemently.

"Lucky? How could you possibly say that we've been lucky when my wife is dead, my daughter was almost kidnapped and we are forced to hide?"

Callen didn't even flinch when the man approached him, literally shouting in his face. Without losing his composure, he calmly replied, "We've been lucky because both your daughter and you could have been dead as well. It was just pure luck that Deeks was there with Allison yesterday at school… if the incident at school didn't happen, you wouldn't have gone to check on your daughter and you would have been along with your wife at home. Right now, you wouldn't have a family anymore… or a life."

Once again, the weight of his words lingered in the air. Things were even more serious and complicated than they thought at first.

"But how? How could it be possible that someone leaked in our department? I can't believe that one of mine is part of this master plan!" Colonel Lockman protested, slamming his big hand on the wooden table.

"That's something we need to find out. And we need to do it as soon as possible. If someone was spying on Captain McGregor, they are probably doing it again… and won't stop until he finds out his or his daughter's current location." Hetty stated gravely, picking up her laptop, ready to contact Ops, when Eric's face appeared on screen. "Mr. Beale, have you developed telepathic abilities or what? I was about to call you."

Normally this kind of question would have put the tech on edge, but this time, Eric didn't lose his composure. His expression was a mix of worry and agitation. "I am sorry to be a bad news bringer, Hetty, but I think we have a problem."

"Mr. Beale, I think we have a bigger one here. It appeared that someone was leaking through Colonel Lockman's network, finding suitable information about secret projects and about Captain McGregor. I need you to find out who did it… and how." The Operations Manager spoke with a calm voice, articulating every single word like it weighed like a stone.

The tech shook his head appearing even more worried than before. "Hetty, I don't think I can do that."

"Eric, what are you talking about? What's going on?" Sam stared at his friend, ready to scold him like a little kid, but when he saw the tech's expression, he understood that something big was going on, something that had Eric spooked.

"Someone is trying to access all of our data, all of our files… he's trying to hack into our system! And at the moment, I haven't found a way to stop him. If I can't, we have to shut the network down."

"What?" Callen couldn't believe what his ears were hearing. It sounded like a nightmare. "Are… are you sure you can't do anything to stop him?"

"I am trying Callen, but he's good. Damn it, he's more than good. I didn't see it coming… oh, no… no, no, no!" Eric started tapping furiously on his keyboard.

"Mr. Beale, what's going on?" Hetty called, losing a bit of her usual composure, realizing that the situation was slipping out of her hands and her control. When the tech didn't answer her, she insisted, "Eric, what's going on?"

"He is downloading the list of all our safe houses and all of our phone numbers and… oh no… no, this is not good! Guys, I need to shut everything down before it's too late!"

"Do it, Mr. Beale, do it immediately! We are under attack, so let's start with Protocol 72." The Operations Manager ordered, grabbing the edge of the table with her hands. Her body was trying to stay in control, but she was shaking.

"What… what's going on?" Captain McGregor asked. His pale face couldn't hide his fear.

"We have to leave." Sam told him, guiding him towards the door while Eric's face disappeared from the screen.

"But, what about Allison? I need to go to her… I…"

"Captain, I am sorry. I know you're worried, but at the moment we can't go to your daughter. We have to move to a new place." Callen told him, placing his phone on the desk.

Sam and Hetty did the same, sighing heavily.

McGregor wriggled from the ex-Seal's touch and stopped on his feet. "I am not going anywhere if my daughter is not coming with me!"

"Listen, Captain! Our entire system has been hacked, we are under a telematic attack. We have to leave this place before those men arrive here and at this point, it's just a matter of time." The blue-eyed team leader told him with a firm voice. "I understand that you're worried, but your daughter is with some of our best agents. They will keep her safe. They know what to do in this kind of situation…"

"I know it's hard, but this is the best we can do at the moment. Please, come with us." Sam put a hand around the man's shoulders, sensing the tension gripping his muscles, feeling his body tremble.

The Captain reluctantly nodded and followed the two senior agents outside the boatshed.

"Colonel Lockman, you better check your own network because I fear that the next target of those men might be your own system. And you better do it quickly." Hetty explained, working on her laptop to delete every compromising file that their mysterious enemies could find in it.

"Of course." The Colonel took out his phone, but the diminutive woman stopped him.

"No! Your phone can be under control and I fear that this location has been already compromised."

Lockman seemed pretty shaken by this unexpected turn of events and seemed on the edge of losing himself in his fears. "Yeah, you… you're right."

"Get out of here, take a cab and find a secure place where you can use a payphone. You have a safety protocol, so use it… and do it quickly." Hetty closed her laptop and waited for the Colonel to follow her outside.

The little group walked away from the boatshed, by foot, leaving their cars behind, moving towards different directions.

They were just out of sight when two black vans stopped in front of the boatshed and a bunch of very armed men stepped out of them, bursting into the place, screaming and launching tear gas. The attack didn't last more than fifteen minutes, but fortunately the boatshed was already empty and the men didn't find anything valuable inside.

The vans left in a rush, leaving a dreadful silence behind them.

Two minutes later an explosion resounded in the air, shaking the whole area, leaving only debris and splinters of wood behind.

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><p>"Oh shit!" Deeks repeated, covering his mouth with his forearm as he cast a look at the door.<p>

His eyes burned and breathing was getting harder, minute after minute. He could sense Kensi next to him, protecting Allison who had fallen silent a while ago. The masked men were approaching…

"Deeks, I can't see anything." Kensi murmured before another coughing fit hit her, leaving her breathless.

"Trust me… I feel like it's better this way." The ex-cop murmured, grabbing his former partner's hand and forcing her to move. "They won't see us leave this place… I hope at least…"

"What…" Kensi didn't question him at all, trusting him as much as she had trusted him in the past, when they were partners. She helped Allison on her feet, telling her to bend and not stand tall, and the two of them followed Deeks who was moving in the same way, touching the wall with his hands, looking for something.

"And here you are!" He finally exclaimed, keeping his voice low, not wanting to be caught. Careful to not make too many noises, he slowly opened the window. The fresh breath of air that reached his mouth first, throat and lungs later, was like manna from heaven. As a reaction, he started coughing, not used to the pure air. He cast a look outside, happy to see the fire escape. "Come on, let's get out of here. Quickly!"

Without asking useless questions, Kensi helped an almost unresponsive Allison through the window and as soon as both of them were outside, they started coughing as well. Their eyes were still tearing up, but at least things didn't look as bad as they were just a few minutes ago.

Deeks maneuvered himself through the window, trying to ignore his aching body and his throbbing knee. He didn't remember when he last took the painkillers that Dr. Young prescribed him, but this was not the right time to think about it. He needed to be lucid and focused and painkillers usually numbed his mind.

"Deeks, come on, we need to move!" The NCIS agent saw him working on the window, losing precious time to get out and to leave those men behind.

Allison seemed more coherent now that she had been able to breathe properly. Her hazel eyes were teary and puffy red, but they were more alert even if they couldn't hide her terror.

"I'm coming… just give me a moment." The ex-cop muttered between ground teeth; he seemed very busy with something but the two women couldn't understand what he was doing.

When Kensi finally saw him approach her, she noticed that he had lost one of his crutches. Skeptically, she lifted her eyebrows, masking her concern with irony. She knew that he was not supposed to put too much weight on his knee and that moving around like they were doing it at the moment was not helping at all.

Deeks didn't need to hear her talk. He knew she was concerned, he could read it on her face. "What? Dr. Young said that in a couple of days I would have been good as new, so here I am. I don't have a walking stick, so this one should work in its place!" He underplayed, hoping that she didn't go on asking further questions, because he was not able to lie to her.

The sound of footsteps approaching took them away from their little dispute.

"Oh God, they are coming!" Allison grabbed Kensi's arm, clutching it tightly.

"Come on, let's go!" The ex-cop pushed Kensi to move, knowing that the girl would consequently follow her.

"Deeks… the stairs…" The NCIS agent murmured in horror, realizing that they were going to climb down three flights of narrow and steep stairs, not an easy task for them, especially for him.

"Don't worry… I'll be fine." His eyes were full of gratitude and in spite of the situation they were finding themselves in, he wanted to kiss her so badly. Having someone around who truly cared for him was something that he had forgotten in the past three years and all in all, it felt good. He held her hand in his, squeezing it, attempting to calm her. A sweet smile curled his lips.

She swallowed hard, knowing exactly what he was doing. Once again, he was not thinking about himself but about her and Allison. "Ok." She simply told him, but her eyes spoke volumes.

They started climbing down the stairs, Kensi in the front, leading the teenager by her hand, and Deeks in the rear, closing the line. He was doing his best to keep the pace, but it was not as easy as he had wanted to let his former partner believe.

They were halfway through their way, when they heard a big commotion coming from the window they just came out of, and people were screaming and cursing loudly.

A big, triumphant grin appeared on the ex-cop's lips as he looked above his head where the bad guys were.

"Something I need to know?" Kensi asked, puzzled.

"Well, the sacrifice of one of my crutches was not in vain… it's going to keep some of them busy for a while!" He smirked, without stopping his legs from moving.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The NCIS agent insisted, completely lost.

"Well, your father taught you how to hotwire a car, how to play poker, how to shoot… well, because of my father I had to learn how to block windows and doors with whatever I had in my hands." His voice lowered, unable to hide a hint of deep sadness. "I call it a talent."

Kensi locked her eyes on his, sensing the turmoil of emotions that the little revelation had provoked inside of him and felt sorry for him. She wanted to hug him, to reassure him, to tell him that he had a lot of talents, something that his father would have never taught him, because they were innate, they were simply and already inside of him. She wanted to tell him what kind of great man he was. "Deeks…" She only managed to say.

"We have to go Kens, come on." He exhorted her to move, taking his glance away from her, because he was aware that if he continued looking into her gorgeous mismatched eyes, he wouldn't be able to move anymore, because his legs would turn into Jell-O.

Sighing and understanding why he was doing that, the NCIS agent once again grabbed Allison's hand and guided her down the stairs. They reached the alley behind the building and her first instinct was to take a look around, checking their surroundings. "It seems that they didn't think we could make it out of the apartment, there's no one here."

"Well… glad we… surprised them…" Deeks panted, leaning against the wall to rest his injured knee.

"How are you doing, Mr. Deeks?" Allison found the courage to speak for the first time. She was literally terrified, paralyzed by the fear, but at the same time, she had seen how her teacher and the agent were still standing and fighting even if they were wounded and still recovering from another attack from those bad guys. It was time for her to react and to not be a burden.

"I'm good Allison, don't worry about me. I'm… inv… I've had worse." The ex-cop was starting with one of his jokes, but Kensi's stare stopped him from doing it. "How are you, little one?" He changed subjects.

"I… I am terrified…" The girl replied as she followed the NCIS agent towards the exit of the alley. She felt a bit bad and guilty, because all of this was happening because of her, of her father, of that freaking project.

"Hey, none of this is your fault." Deeks told her, easily reading her expression. "And it's normal to be scared… I am scared, too. Fear is what keeps you focused."

This time Kensi nodded solemnly, pleased that once again, her former partner had been able to reach the teenager with a few words. She had always been fascinated by the way he was easily able to speak the kids' language, to understand them, to be seen as an equal not like another adult who bossed them around. She continued moving, one eye in front of her and one behind them. Her glance landed on her car, parked on the other side of the street. "Damn it!" She shouted, exasperated.

"What's up, Kens?" The former detective asked, joining her at her side.

"They shot the tires of my car and they are waiting for us…" She indicated her silver car, surrounded by heavily armed men; as a reaction to what she had just found out, she clenched her hands in tight fists. "Do you have any weapons with you?"

"Hey, did you forget that I am a teacher right now? Teachers don't have guns." The ex-cop remarked ironically, even if deep down he wished he had his old Beretta tucked behind his back. "You?"

"Only my knife." She stated firmly.

Deeks lifted an eyebrow at her words. "Your father's knife?"

She looked at him, for a long endless moment, like she was trying to find the right thing to tell him. "Yeah… that one…" She paused, then softly she added, "Sometimes a knife is just a knife…"

He was going to reply to her, cracking one of his usual jokes, when a commotion coming from behind them completely caught his attention. "Oh, crap! It seems that they got rid of my little trick a bit quicker than I thought! We have to go, NOW!" Without thinking, he dragged Kensi and Allison with him. They couldn't get out of the alley or go back pass the flight of stairs and find their way out through the other exit… they were trapped.

"There's no way out, Deeks!" Kensi said, keeping her voice calm and controlled to not alarm Allison more than she already was.

"And this is where you're wrong, Kensalina…" He guided them into a little opening between two buildings, stopped in front of a metal grating and with expertise he opened it. His knee was pulsing and throbbing, literally screaming in pain, but this was not the moment to lick his wounds or it might cost them their lives. "Move, get inside. They haven't seen us yet!"

The two women did what they had been asked to do and found themselves on top of another flight of stairs that led them down the sewers.

"Oh this is nice, Deeks… and so romantic!" Kensi muttered, as she reached the bottom of the stairs, jumping in a rivulet of smelly water. She was so busy trying to breathe through the stench that she didn't realize that the ex-cop was not behind her. "Deeks!" She called with a voice filled with concern. She was ready to go back upstairs, when she saw him moving slowly, using the wall as a support.

He was moving cautiously because the slippery ground could be very tricky for his crutch and for his injured knee. All of this up and down was not doing it any good. The pain was reaching an unbearable level with the braces, which were tightening around the tendons and the nerves of his leg, causing him further discomfort. "Worried, Fern?" He whispered, flashing one of his infamous grin that sadly didn't reach his eyes, matted by the agony he was in. "I… I needed to close the grating so that they didn't realize that we went down here. I don't know if I made it right, so we better move. Just in case…"

"Mr. Deeks, are you sure you are ok?" Allison wondered, watching the man reaching the water and leaning against the wall even more, like he was ready to fall down. "Kensi, he can't go on like this any longer…"

"Why is she Kensi and I am still Mr. Deeks? It's something mysterious to me… but I am here if you hadn't noticed and yes, I am ok. So can you stop worrying about me and concentrate on our brilliant escape?" The last word hadn't left his mouth when they heard the sound of people passing by the grating, calling one another, passing orders.

"They are not here!"

"It's impossible, they can't have left the alley!"

"Search every single corner of this fucking alley! I want them in front of me, NOW!" The voice of what sounded like the leader of the bunch echoed loud and clear, even from their hiding spot. "I don't care about that bitch of an agent or about that son of a bitch of a teacher! I want the girl and I want her alive!"

Allison shivered at those words, moving closer to both Kensi and Deeks; she felt safer and protected when they were so close to her, like two guardian angels.

"My little trick won't keep them away for too long. I managed to find a way to hide the entrance of this place, but if they stopped to look more carefully, it won't be long before they storm inside…" The ex-cop explained, cringing as he put some weight on his bad leg. "We need to move and we have to do it quickly."

"Trick, another one? Why do I have the feeling that it's better if I don't know what kind of trick you're talking about…"

"Kensalina, sweetheart…" He started, seeing her looking at him with her best glare. Smiling amused, he continued, "Light of my life, I might not be the jungle cat anymore, but I am still a sewer rat! When we were kids Ray and I used to hide in places like this when his father and mine looked for us because we did something that they didn't like at all. We've been down here plenty of times."

Once again, Kensi looked at him with the sudden urge to hug him, to engulf him in a tight embrace, to keep away those memories that still haunted him, even after so many years. "So do you know your way around down here?"

"Yeah… kinda…" Deeks listened to the voice above them that slowly became feebler. "They are gone, for now. We have to move. Kens, do you have your phone?"

"Yeah, I've got it, but it's useless down here. I'll call Eric and the others as soon as we're on the surface again." The NCIS agent put her phone back in her pocket and moved towards her former partner, offering her help.

"What do you think you're doing? I can walk by myself and you… you are still recovering yourself!" The former detective protested, feeling a bit cornered though. He was tired. Actually, he was deadly tired. His leg was in excruciating pain, but he needed to be strong, he couldn't show his weakness now.

"Oh shut up and let me help you!" Kensi almost snapped, mad because of his stubbornness.

"Mr. Deeks, asking for help is not a sign of weakness." Allison looked at him in the eyes.

"Allison… I… I have just asked to not call me Mr. Deeks. Marty is ok or Deeks if my first name sounds too familiar…" He tried to use his humor to cover the fact that his student had been able to see though his mask, reading him perfectly.

"Ok, let's make a deal… I'm going to call you Deeks, if you allow us to help you. It will only be for a little while, then when we are on the surface again, you can walk by yourself." The girl moved to one side while Kensi moved to his other side.

"You… are unexpectedly convincing, Allison. I've always told you that you would be a good lawyer." He smirked, allowing them to support him.

"Yes, you told me and when I am a great lawyer, I will be able to say to everyone that I had the best teacher in the world… who even saved my life." The girl blushed as she whispered those few words, afraid that her teacher could take them in the wrong way.

"…and I will be the proudest teacher ever." Deeks hesitated, sincerely touched by what Allison told him. It was a great boost to his ego and a kick to his low self-esteem.

Kensi passed an arm around his waist and made soothing gestures on his side to let him know how proud she was of him as well. Once again, he showed the world what he was capable of and how much good he was able to do. "What do you think if we start moving now? Like you said, sooner or later they will find the entrance and they will catch up to us. We better leave these tunnels before they come down here." Her eyes looked for Deeks' blue orbs. "Ready to go?"

"You know how it works, Fern. Where you go, I go." He murmured with the mellow tone that once again melted Kensi's heart.

Allison smiled at the sweet exchange. They were on the run, being chased by bad guys who only wanted to hurt them and capture them, but she had never felt so safe like she was in this moment. There was something with Kensi and Deeks, something that told her that they were going to make it out of this mess alive. She couldn't define what this something was, but she simply knew. Still smiling, she started moving, following her teacher's pace - one foot after another… towards her safety.


	9. Chapter 9

I can only thank you all for your support, it means a lot to me. Forgive me if this chapter is up late, but I couldn't update this story yesterday due to site's issues.

And, as always, I can't forget to thank purecraziness for her precious help. I'd be lost without her!

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><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 9<p>

The old building looked like it was on the edge of crumbling down and collapsing at any moment. The red bricks had been eroded by years of rain, sun, and wind. The windows were adorned with cracked glass and the remaining of curtains had completely lost their color. The only way in was through a rusty, metal shutter that was dented and had signs of different colors on it, like different object had hit it and crushed against it along the years.

Sam and Callen stopped the car in a deserted and desolated alley next to the building and allowed Captain McGregor to get out of the vehicle only after they checked their surroundings.

"What is this place?" The Captain asked, casting a questioning stare at the deformed mass of bricks, dust, and concrete standing in front of him. "And where is Allison?"

The two agents exchanged a grave look, but none of them knew what to tell the man. They couldn't contact Kensi, Deeks, or any of the agents who were at the safe house with Allison, because calling them now might be a risk since Ops and their whole system were compromised and under a telematic's attack. They could only hope that they were safe, but after the explosion that had taken place at the boatshed, the fear for their safety was at a very high level.

When none of the two men gave him an answer, McGregor started freaking out. "Oh my God, please… please tell me that Allison is safe. I… I need to go to her… I need to get her… she is… oh God, no please…" He was babbling and crying at the same time and his whole body was trembling.

"Captain…" Callen tried to reach him, but the man stepped back, like he wanted to escape, to get away from a situation that was crushing him under an unbearable weight.

"Captain McGregor… Peter," Sam started grabbing the man by his shoulders and forcing him to look into his eyes. "You have to try to stay calm, you're not helping your daughter and you're not going to help Allison by doing that." He put a heavy accent on the girl's name to get the captain's complete attention.

"What happened to Allison? Please tell me she's not gone…" McGregor's voice was nothing more than a mere whisper, but at least it seemed that the ex-Seal's words had done their job.

"We don't know yet. After we found out that someone is hacking our system we had to shut down our network, closing any form of communication with all of our agents." Sam took a long deep breath, carefully weighing everything he was saying. Risking that the Captain would do something stupid in order to help his daughter was a thing he truly wanted to avoid and that he didn't need at this point. "Trust me, I am a father, so I know exactly what you're going through, but believe me, if it was my daughter, Kensi would be the person I wanted her to be with. She is truly one of the best. And Deeks might not be a cop anymore, but he's good." A little smile curled his lips as old memories came to his mind. "I made the mistake of underestimating him once, but he showed me how wrong I was… he saved my life, risking his own. Believe me, I know it's not much, but they are Allison's best chance right now… she's in good hands."

"You would entrust them with your daughter's safety?" The Captain asked feebly; there was a hint of hope in his expression, something he tried to cling on to go on.

"I would." The ex-Seal stated firmly while his eyes went deeply into the other man's.

"Thank you." McGregor finally said, sighing heavily. He was aware that in this moment there were not certainties, but he appreciated Agent Hanna's honesty. The big man could have given him false hope, telling him that his daughter was safe, but he didn't, simply because he couldn't. He tried to give him courage instead… and something positive to believe in.

"You're welcome," Callen patted the terrified man on his shoulder before moving towards the metal shutter and with unexpected easiness, opening it. "Come on, let's go inside."

Once they walked inside the building, the scenario didn't change at all. The place still looked like he was ready to fall on their heads at any moment, but there was something different, a sense or warmness… a sense of protectiveness. Peter McGregor observed his surroundings, feeling calmer and calmer as they moved through different rooms, towards what it looked like a different area of the old building.

The team leader stopped in front the elevator or what in the past was the elevator. He pressed the button like he wanted to call it, but he did it in a rhythmic way, like he was playing some sort of music. After a few seconds the door opened, revealing a flight of stairs.

"What… what is this place?" The Captain asked, looking at both agents with his mouth wide open in stupor.

"This," Sam indicated him to start climbing down. "…is probably the only safe place we have at the moment."

The three men descended the uncountable flights of stairs. At first it was hard for them to fit through the walls, but as soon as they kept going, the path widened and they could move more easily. The last flight was the easiest to climb down and they could even stand next to one another.

Once again they halted in front of a rusty metal door. They had to wait only a few seconds before it opened.

As they stepped through it, McGregor found himself in a big, open room, with huge vaults covered by red bricks. There were lamps on the walls that brightly illuminated the whole space. From the smell, it seemed that the place had been closed for a long time, but at the moment it was full of life.

In the middle of the wide room, there were two big tables with every sort of computer and other electronic equipment, another two tables were full of different types of weapons. In the background, a big metal cabinet, filled with drawers occupied an entire wall. On one side, glass doors opened to what looked like a little living room, with a couple of couches and a table, and a small kitchen.

"Oh you made it!" Nell rushed towards them with a concerned expression planted on her face. "We were so worried when we heard about the boatshed."

"We were already far away from it. Do you have news of any casualties?" Callen's face was dark; he swallowed while asking the question that was wandering through his mind since the moment he heard the sound of the explosion.

"Fortunately no." Jason asked, joining the little group. "We've been lucky this time."

"Captain McGregor, why don't you come with me, I am sure you need to refresh yourself and maybe rest a bit." The petite analyst pointed him to the glass doors, smiling kindly.

"Do you have news on my daughter?" The man asked about the only thing that truly mattered to him.

Nell cast a glance at Sam and Callen, who nodded to her. "No, not yet, I am sorry." She saw his eyes water, even if he tried to keep his composure.

"I… do you have some water, please?" The Captain gave the petite woman a sweet smile, silently telling her that he was not ok, but that he wanted to keep going, to hold onto his hopes.

The petite analyst bit her lip, seeing his struggle, then she placed a hand on his back and guided him through the glass door, casting one last glance at the other agents while she was leaving.

Sam nodded, answering Nell's unspoken request. They had to find news of Allison and their friends. Being in the dark about their fate was simply eating all of them alive.

The three agents moved to the main desk in the middle of the room where Eric was busy tapping and cursing while working at one of the laptops.

"Eric, what have you got?" Callen asked, approaching the tech and placing himself behind him. He waited for an answer that never came. "Eric?"

Jason chuckled, seeing Eric's concentrated and focused face, it was like the world around him didn't exist. "He's been like that for the past two hours, lost in that computer, trying to get the hacker. I bet it's time to bring him back."

"Eric!" Sam shouted, making the tech jump so high that he almost fell off his chair.

"God, Sam, do you want me to have a heart attack?"

"Eric, we've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes, what the hell are you doing?" The ex-Seal insisted. He didn't like this situation and hated being in the dark. They were moving blindly in a mine field, fighting against men who were always ahead of them, who seemed to have a lot of resources and who were not going to stop until they had reached their goal.

"Eric, I said, what have you got…" Callen studied the blond tech, noticing the sign of exhaustion on his face. This whole story was taking a toll on all of them. They needed to solve it, as soon as possible, before it would be too late.

"Nothing! I have nothing! Whoever found a way through our system is good, no… actually he's more than good. Excellent, I dare to say… but I am going to get him, no matter how long it takes me. I will get you!" There was a challenging note in his voice as he continued working on the keyboard.

Price, losing his patience, grabbed the back of Eric's chair and turned him around, staring straight into his eyes. "Eric! Focus!"

Startled by the sudden reaction of the usually quiet agent, the tech collected himself, straightening in his seat. "Sorry, guys, but… this situation is driving me crazy. I am trying to figure out how this guy could possibly do this. I… I can't believe he was able to breach our network so easily. I check the security system myself, I check it every day… I…"

"It's not your fault." Sam put a hand on the smaller man's shoulder, comforting him. "These men are good, very good."

"Do you have news about Kensi and Deeks or the other agents outside the safe house?" Callen tried to let the tech focus on something else, so he could relax and do what he did best.

"No, I sent an encrypted message from a burn phone to Kensi… I know it was risky, but I had to warn her in one way or another. And before you add anything else, the burn phone is… burnt." Eric stopped, looking at the agents who were glaring at him. "Burnt, like literally burnt… with fire, real fire. Nell did it, for me… I… I better stop rambling."

"Ok, you did good." The team leader was getting restless so he started pacing nervously. "What do we know about these men?"

"They are very well organized, well trained…" Sam said, making a mental list of all the things the bad guys had done so far.

"Fully armed and merciless." Jason continued with a grave tone.

"They are always ahead of us, like they know us, they know all of our moves, like…" Callen suddenly froze on his feet, feeling the other's eyes on him. "…like there's someone feeding them with information. The attack on our system happened too suddenly and like Eric said, too easily."

"I can't believe that they have a man inside NCIS as well. How can it be possible?" Jason frowned, feeling a chill run down his spine at the idea of having a traitor with them.

"I know, I don't believe it myself, but it's the only thing that comes to my mind." The team leader passed a hand over his face.

Silence fell in the air, realizing how grave and dangerous this situation was getting, minute after minute. Tension could be cut with a knife. It was in that moment that one of the laptops started beeping, catching everyone's attention.

"What's that?" Sam asked, following Eric who checked on the computer.

"Oh no… oh God…" The tech muttered, clearly in shock.

"Eric, what's up?" Callen was clearly on edge, losing his usual composure.

"I have just read a report from LAPD of a shooting that took place at our safe house. Agent Freeman, Blackthorn, and King have been found dead. Kensi's car is still in front of the house… no sign of Kensi, Deeks, and Allison. The police found evidence of tear gas in the house…"

The agents carefully listened to the tech's words as a knot clenched their stomachs. Three of their own were dead and there was no trace of their friends who could be in the hands of the mysterious bad guys… or even worse.

"Who the hell are these people? I want to know who they are!" Callen shouted, releasing all of his frustration. He turned on his heels and walked away.

"He will be fine, don't worry." The ex-Seal reassured Eric and Jason. "He just needs time."

The tech's face was pale and his eyes were teary. "Yeah, but what about Kensi and Deeks? And Allison? Do you think that they still have time? Do you think they are still alive?"

Once again the silence fell in the big room, but this time it was oppressing and more deafening than a scream.

* * *

><p>The stench filled their nostrils contorting their stomach and taking their breath away. They didn't know how long they had been walking, but as the time passed by, it was getting harder and harder. The stinky water touched their shins, making their movements slower.<p>

Deeks didn't know how much farther he was able to go. The pain in his knee had spread throughout his whole leg and it was throbbing in agonizing waves. His limping was more pronounced and he was leaning on Allison or on Kensi more heavily than before. The crutch was practically useless down here because it slipped more than once, almost dragging him to the ground along with it.

Kensi noticed how his breathing was troubled and how his face was covered with sweat. She was aware of how stubborn he was and that he tended to put other people's safety and health above his own, but in this moment, her former partner was risking too much, making things worse for his leg. "We have to stop." She muttered quietly, but her tone sounded more like an order than a simple statement.

"No way… we don't know how far behind those men are." Deeks replied, attempting to continue walking, but the task was impossible to achieve when the two women halted abruptly and he had to lean on the wall to prevent himself from falling.

"Hey!" The ex-cop snapped, grinding his teeth and wincing in pain when his knee twisted dangerously. He had to close his eyes and hold onto Kensi's shoulder tightly to not fall.

The NCIS agent's ribs protested, but she tried to hide it, doing a poor job though. Her eyes betrayed her and the little moan that escaped her mouth did the same.

Unconsciously, Deeks stopped, trying as best to move his weight away from her. "Kens, are you ok?" He asked with an expression filled with concern.

"I'm fine, Deeks." She simply said, without looking at his eyes. She knew he could read her lie and this was something she didn't need right now.

"Ok… ok… let's stop…" The ex-cop leaned his head and back against the wall, panting heavily as he tried to regain his breath and collect some strength.

Kensi wriggled from his arm and took a look behind them to see if someone was following them, but fortunately no one was on their tail. "It's clear. We still have some advantage on them."

"Yeah, but what if they are waiting for us as soon as we peek our heads outside?" Allison was nervously biting her lips and the fear was so evident in her eyes, even in her whole body language.

"It's… possible, but not probable." The blond former detective wanted to reassure his student, but he could understand her apprehension. In a blink of an eye her life completely and drastically changed. First, she had been almost abducted, then she had found out that her father's job had put them in danger and got her mother killed in front of her eyes and now… she was on the run, trying to get rid of bad guys with big guns. Anyone would be scared. Actually, she was even reacting better than Deeks had expected. "They would have to put men at every street, at every drain, at ever manhole cover… they can't have so many men!"

"Yes, Deeks is right. Once we're out of this place, we might be closer to safety. We will head to the boatshed and we will be safe there." Kensi added, nodding at her ex-partner, using that silent form of communication they used to share in the past.

"But what about my father? He is probably worried sick… I… I need to check on him, to tell him that I'm ok."

"Allison, listen to me." The teacher placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, looking at her straight in the eyes. "As soon as we're out of here, we will contact our… the NCIS office and they will let your father know that you're fine." He paused, giving her a soft smile. "You will be with him soon."

"Soon?" Allison gulped while asking the question. She was terrified and being down here was not helping her mood. She had always been a bit claustrophobic but she was trying to stay strong, to ignore her fears. If she wanted to get out of here alive, she couldn't act like a whiny little girl, scared of her shadow.

"As soon as possible." Kensi intervened, giving the girl a reassuring glance.

The teenager nodded, taking a long deep breath. "Ok… so, what's now?"

Instinctively, the two women looked at Deeks' face. He sighed, licking his lips with his tongue. "According to what I remember, we need to walk for a little while longer, then we can get to the surface. If my calculations are right, we will be in a very crowded area… so we will be safe and covered."

"Are you up to walk?" The NCIS agent intently studied her former partner's expression, seeing his pained blue eyes and the wrinkles creasing his forehead. She could imagine that he was in a lot of discomfort and that his knee was probably giving him nightmares, but at the same time, she knew that he was not going to give up so easily.

"Yeah… just move, because if I stay here any longer, I won't be able to move anymore."

Kensi was silently moving to help him, when Allison stopped her.

"It's my turn, Kensi. You too are hurt and you need to take care of yourself as well." She said firmly while her hazel eyes sparkled with determination.

The two former partners smiled proudly while exchanging a nod.

"Come on then. Let's go." The female agent allowed Deeks and Allison to lead the way, while she took the rear where she could check to see if someone was following them.

They walked for another thirty minutes when they finally stopped. Kensi was relieved because she had felt and sensed Deeks' struggle when they were moving. Every step had been agony for him. His pace had slowed down considerably and she could see how he was not able to put the weight on his leg for more than a few seconds. His face was flushed, clear sign of the great effort he was putting in every gesture, and his breathing was getting worse with every passing minute. She didn't know how he had managed to walk that far in this condition and once again she felt a big wave of pride inside of her.

The ex-cop leaned heavily against the wall, using the crutch as a support for his injured knee that was literally on fire. He was aware that he was probably asking it too much, but they didn't have any other choice. "I think it's time to see the light again…" He pointed out at a small grating that opened on a narrow flight of stairs.

Allison's face brightened up at the idea of leaving this place behind. It gave her chills; it was like an oppressive cloak lingering above her that took her breath away. "So… can we do it now? Can we climb up?"

Deeks grinned, understanding the girl's need and desire. "Yeah, let's… let's go."

Kensi stared at him, waiting for him to make a move. "So?"

"Just give me a moment, Kens. Just a minute. You… you can go up now… I'll be right behind you." His voice was nothing more than a whisper and his trembling hand was clenching the crutch tightly.

"Deeks…"

"I'm… good Kens, for real. I… I just need a moment." He repeated.

"You're such an idiot with the hero complex!" The female agent shook her head, before moving next to him to support his whole weight. "Come on… where I go, you go. Remember?"

The ex-cop smiled sweetly as a warm sensation engulfed him when her hands touched his body. When she was too far away from him, it felt like there was a hole inside of him. He had to shake his head, thinking about how stupid he had been in the last years. Being here with her, next to her, was simply right… like they were intended to be in this position, like they belonged to each other. "Where Kensi goes, I go. Always…"

Kensi helped him climb the stairs while Allison was just a few steps ahead of them. They walked for a while until they found themselves in front of another grating. It was locked…

"Please tell me you have your kit to pick locks…" The ex-cop literally begged her.

The agent checked in her pockets, but her expression gave away her negative answer. "I probably lost it when we escaped through the window."

"Damn it!" Deeks slammed his fist against the wall, releasing his frustration.

"So, we're trapped, aren't we?" Allison was barely able to keep herself together. Fear, weariness, hunger, thirst… all of these things were taking a toll on her.

Kensi could see the mix of emotions coursing through her body and tried to calm her down a bit. "No, not trapped, but we probably have to walk a little while longer down in the sewer."

"No… no more… I can't stay down here any longer!" The girl started shaking the grating in the hope of making it open.

"Allison, move away from that grating." The ex-cop's voice echoed loud in the sort of tunnel they were in.

"But… no… I need to get out of here…" The girls insisted but couldn't finish the sentence.

"I said, step the hell away from the grating!" This time Deeks' voice was even louder as he stood tall, leaning on his crutch.

"Mr. Deeks, I…" Allison blabbed, completely shocked.

With a steady pace, as steady as his injuries allowed him, the teacher moved towards the grating and before anyone could realize what he was going to do, he started hitting the lock with the crutch. Once, twice, three times… and again… and again…

Kensi looked astonished from him doing that, surprised by such violence, until the lock finally gave in.

Exhausted, Deeks fell on the floor, panting and trying to catch his breath. "I… I am sorry… but, I couldn't walk down here anymore… I… I need the sun… to see the sky."

There was a moment of awkward silence, with the two women, who looked in shock at the painting blond man who was still holding his crutch like a club, then out of nowhere, Allison started laughing. At first, it was almost inaudible but then it became louder and louder. Kensi chuckled and then followed her in a burst of laughing.

"Hey, what are you laughing about?" The ex-cop asked, completely lost.

"It's just that you… you should have seen your face, Deeks. For a moment I was truly scared, but then you sit down and talk about the sun and the sky like a little kid… and it's impossible not to laugh." The NCIS agent slowly moved towards him, sitting next to him. Her hand gently brushed his hair as she lost herself in his ocean blue eyes.

"Are you saying that I am irresistible?" He took the chance and joked with her, like old times.

"More like your impossible…" Without thinking twice, Kensi leaned towards him and kissed him, a short but sweet kiss on his lips.

"It seems like I am impossible to resist in the end…" The ex-cop grinned, pleased, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Ehm ehm… I know that Mister, well Deeks, needs to rest, but can we get out of here? This place is giving me chills and I… I need to talk to my father." Allison said, feeling a bit like an intruder. She could see that these two had some unfinished business and probably a long history, but she really had had enough of this place.

Kensi and Deeks exchanged a guilty glance, bowing their heads.

"Sorry, Allison… you're right and you know what? I can't wait to be out of here myself. Where's the beach when you need it?" Laboriously, but without help, the former detective stood up and grimacing, he walked towards the girl. "You… you will talk with your dad soon."

The teenager's eyes watered, but she tried to hide it, turning around and distancing herself from her teacher.

Kensi joined Deeks, placing a hand on his back, gently making soothing circles. "You ok?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm… good. It's Allison I am worried about. She is trying to keep herself together but this entire story is bigger than her. A girl of that age shouldn't go through all of this."

A shadow passed through the female agent's eyes, darkening her expression.

The ex-cop bowed his head, closing his eyes, realizing what he had just said. "I am sorry Kensi, I… I didn't think… I should have shut up…"

She lifted his chin, once again staring straight at him. "It's ok, I get what you mean… and you're right. A girl shouldn't have to go through all of that…" She smiled but it was a sad smile.

Deeks took a step closer and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry." He whispered in such a sweet and mellow tone that Kensi almost melted. "Now, it's better if we get out of here. I am getting restless myself."

"Come on, let's go." She was helping him when her phone made a sound, alerting her of the arrival of a message. She opened it without giving too much importance to the sender, but what she read froze here where she stood.

"Kens, what's up?" Deeks wondered as he saw Allison turning back and joining them.

"Is it about my father?" The girl was on the edge of going to pieces, her whole body language screamed that.

"It's… I…" The agent turned the phone to her former partner who paled reading it.

"What the hell...?" He murmured before Allison, with a quick move, stole the cell phone from Kensi's hands.

_Ops is compromised. Close all communication._

_Boatshed is gone._

_You're on your own._

_Eric_

"What… what does it mean? What Ops and… the boatshed wasn't where my father was going with your friends, was it? What does it mean, it's gone?" There were tears in the girl's hazel eyes and this time she couldn't do anything to stop them.

"It means that we can't go back to Ops or to the boatshed. And that we can't call any of them." Kensi told her, trying to comfort her, but she was pretty shaken herself. What were they going to do? They didn't have a place to go, they were tired, hungry, and thirsty. Her ribs were protesting and she was aware that Deeks needed to rest his knee before he injured it even further. "But I assure you, if something happened to your father or to our friends, Eric would have told us."

"Come on, we can't stay here any longer. We don't know where those guys are at the moment." Surprisingly, it was Deeks who wanted to move.

Kensi walked close to him, whispering in his ear, "But where do we go? We can't wander around the city hoping to find a safe place…. and you need to rest that leg of yours."

They stepped through the grating and found themselves in a deserted alley. "Where are we? You said that we would be in a crowded place… there's no one here, what if those men show up? They could find us… and…"

"Allison, do you trust me?" The ex-cop asked, grabbing the girl's hand with unexpected strength.

She nodded reluctantly and a bit scared, but she did trust him, especially after he had saved her life at school.

"Good, so come with me." Limping, he guided Allison and Kensi through the alley.

They made just a few steps and they reached the end of it. As they turned the corner they found themselves in a very crowded street, next to the beach. A big smile crossed Deeks' lips as he deeply inhaled the salty air. His golden locks shone under the sun and his eyes brightened up like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Really Deeks? This place? The beach?" Kensi lifted her eyebrows skeptically, but she was glad of what she saw. Her former partner looked more at ease and more relaxed. Allison's figure relaxed as well and the worried frown disappeared from her face.

"You know that the beach is my… safe place, so why not come here?"

"So, are we safe here?" The girl asked, bringing them back to business.

"Not until we find a place to rest a little… and maybe to eat, but I don't know about you. I have only my credit card and we can't use it right now." The agent stated, attempting to hide his frustration.

Allison was starting to panic, realizing that they might be away from the bad guys but they were still screwed, when Deeks flashed one of his infamous grins.

"What the hell are you grinning at?" Kensi told him, slapping his shoulder.

"I am grinning because I know a place that is right what we need. There will be food, a place to rest and mostly it will be safe. For sure, no one will look for us there." His expression softened, as millions of memories invaded his mind.

The agent looked at him and she couldn't stop herself from feeling a warm sensation inside of her. She didn't know where he wanted to take them, but only the way he had said those few words made her feel safe and protected. "Ok." She cast a glance at Allison, like she wanted her approval as well. When she got a timid nod, she turned to look at her former partner. "Lead the way partner!"

A big smile curled Deeks' lips. Slowly, he started walking, fighting the pain spreading through his whole body and for the first since the moment they escaped from the safe house, he had the feeling that things were going to get better.


	10. Chapter 10

I can only thank you all for your continuous support. You really don't know how much it means to me.

A special thanks to purecraziness for her priceless help.

* * *

><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 10<p>

The sun was slowly setting above the ocean, coloring everything with a bright orange aura. The first long shadows of the incoming evening were making themselves notable, surrounding and keeping company to their owners. A busy night was preparing with the streets that were starting to become crowded with people ready to fill the uncountable bars, pubs, clubs, and restaurants near the beach. Soon, it would be almost impossible to walk down these roads.

Sal LaTorre observed the increasing movement with a bitter smile on his face as he stood on his little pizzeria/restaurant's doorstep. He liked having people around and coming to his place to taste his food, but he missed those times when he could actually talk with people, who stopped by to eat but mostly to have a chat. Now the world moved too fast and no one bothered to stop and watch it.

Sal, or Salvatore as he was born, arrived from Italy in the fifties when he was just a little boy. His parents had packed their bags, filled with dreams, and they left their beloved country to find fortune in America. They never became rich, but were able to open this little restaurant that had given them somewhere to eat and a place to live to Sal and his four siblings. He had always lived and worked here and he didn't even remember how many years had passed.

This place, the beach and the ocean, were his home and his whole life.

"Goodbye Mr. Sal," a young girl, no more than ten years old, told him while leaving the restaurant along with her mother with her box of pizza proudly in her hand.

"Goodbye, Miss Charlotte," the man said, waving his hand in the air and smiling kindly.

Sal was seventy-two years old, his black hair had turned grey and was thinning out, but the smile was still the same; one of that of a little boy, who watched, fascinated by his father preparing pizza the whole day. His dark eyes brightened at the memory and he was glad to still have the same passion his father had and taught him.

_Remember Sal, no matter how many people will come to this place, it could be one or one million, you treat them right and equal and you serve them as best as you can. It's a matter of respect. Always respect the people around you and they will do the same back to you._

He never regretted following his father's advice, not even once. All in all he had a good life, a nice place to live, a job that he loved, and a wife that he would never live without, not even a single day. They had been married for almost fifty years and they still loved each other as much as they did the first day. They weren't blessed with children on their own, but they had tried to help as many as they could, helping to pay for school and school material, offering a meal to the ones who couldn't have one, and to give a smile to the ones who didn't get enough of them. It was the way they had been raised, to give without asking in exchange.

Sal went back to the wood oven and kept himself busy by preparing a new deep-dish pizza in one of the old and used baking trays. He had a couple of boys coming to help him, but he still loved making pizza by himself and during these first hours, when the restaurant was not so busy, he simply enjoyed preparing something special, something to treat his customers right. He was busy working on the dough, twirling it over his head, like his father taught him, and placing it back on the working top, that he didn't see the people that walk inside, he simply heard the ring of the bell placed at the top of the door.

"Evening folks, I'll come to you in a moment," the old man said without even lifting his stare.

"You never learn mister… what if we were some bad guys?" A familiar voice told him, a voice he hadn't heard in a while.

Sam tilted his head to see if his old ears were not fooling him and a frown wrinkled his forehead. "Oh you're right, young man, and you definitely are a bad guy!" His tone changed, at first it was firm and hard, but then sweetened and a big smile curled his lips. He turned around the working top and rushed, as fast as he could, towards Deeks, engulfing him in a tight embrace. "Marty! It's so good to see you son…"

"It's good to see you too, Sal." The ex-cop replied, trying to keep his balance and not fall to the floor.

Kensi observed the awkward scene happening in front of her and noticed the unshed tears veiling the old man's eyes. Deeks' orbs watered a little themselves. Suddenly, she found herself intrigued by the familiarity between this stranger and her former partner who was never so eager to open up and to trust easily. She was curious to know what was the story behind these two men and their obvious friendship.

Sal let the young man go, immediately noticing the condition he was in and mostly his pale face. "_Dio Mio_, _che diavolo ti è successo_? What happened to you Marty? You look like crap…"

The ex-cop chuckled, hearing the other man speak in Italian; it was something that he did only when he was very mad or very worried. "Sal, I… I have a big favor to ask you. This is… Kensi… Agent Blye of NCIS and this is Allison McGregor, we need a place to stay for the night and maybe something to eat."

"Marty, what are you not telling me? Are you in trouble?" The older man asked, studying the two women who looked no better than his young friend. "And is Kensi.. your…"

"_Oh Dio, Marty_… _Tesoro mio_!" The back door opened and an old woman showed up. She was wearing a long, sleeveless flowered dress with a white apron; her black hair was tied in a bun and thick glasses couldn't hide a pair of kind green eyes. "_Piccolo mio_…" She added, running towards Deeks and literally engulfing him in a mama bear embrace. She was not very tall but she had a great strength.

"Rosy, you are crushing my bones!" The former detective protested; he didn't want to push the woman away, he was aware of how much she had probably missed him, but he was really in pain, he was exhausted, and all he wanted to do was lie down and rest.

Rosy LaTorre broke the embrace and cupped the young man's face, looking straight into his blue eyes. She didn't need to ask any questions, she could read all the pain he was in and all she wanted to do was make him feel better. "Come on, you need to sit down… and you two my girls." She turned to face Kensi and Allison before moving her attention to her husband. "And you, Sal… didn't you see that these three are dead on their feet? They need to rest and to eat, so put that pizza in the oven and prepare a table!"

Deeks smiled at Rosy's behavior, remembering all the times he had been the end of her scolding.

"And you, young man… where did you leave your walking stick? You know you can't put weight on that knee of yours. _A volte mi sembra di parlare con un bambino!_"

"I'm not a kid, Rosy… and you know it." The ex-cop allowed the woman to guide him in the back of the restaurant, to a room with a table and a little couch. "…_e grazie_ _di tutto_."

Kensi was a bit surprised to hear her former partner speak in Italian; she didn't know he could do that.

"Oh, no need to thank me… you know you can always count on us." Rosy helped him on the couch before kissing his forehead. "I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself yet," she pointed the chairs to Kensi and Allison. "My name is Rosaria LaTorre, but you can call me Rosy. And that old man you just met is my husband, Sal. Please, have a seat. You truly look like you need to rest, all Marty's friends are my friends."

"Mrs. LaTorre…" The NCIS agent started but was frozen on her feet by the older woman's cold stance.

"Rosy, call me Rosy, my dear. Please. …"

Kensi nodded, a bit shocked by the woman's vehemence and by her intense glare. She was the kind of person no one wanted to mess up with, in spite of her physical appearance.

"Rosy, we just need a place to spend the night and something to eat… tomorrow we will leave. We're not going to cause you any trouble."

"Kensi, right?" Rosy started, receiving another silent nod as an answer. "You can stay here as long as you want, eat as much as you want… we don't mind. And I even suggest you take a shower."

"Are you telling us that we stink, Rosy?" Deeks grinned, sticking his tongue out. It felt so good being in such a familiar place, it warmed his heart and made him relax.

"Well, you're not smelling nice, that's for sure, young man… and pay me some respect when you talk to me." Her expression was sweet and gentle in spite of her firm tone.

"Always, madam…" He winked, but had to wince when a sudden wave of pain coursed through his leg. "Oh damn it!" He grabbed his knee with his hand and immediately both Kensi and Rosy rushed towards him.

"Deeks!" The agent yelled, kneeling in front of him.

The older woman, seeing that he was in good hands, moved towards a shelf and took out a blister of pills. "Here Marty, take a couple of these, they will help to ease the pain."

Kensi brushed her partner's hair with one hand while the other made soothing circles on his back. "Come on, Deeks, relax… and take the pills."

Without thinking twice, the ex-cop grabbed a couple of pills and swallowed them without water. He closed his eyes and leaned against the back of the couch, waiting for the medicine to kick in.

The NCIS agent sat next to him, sending a thankful glance at the older woman who placed some glasses and fresh water on the table.

Allison eyed the fresh liquid with needy eyes, licking her lips in expectation.

Rosy moved behind her, gently touching her hair, and then poured some water in a glass. "Come on, little one, don't be shy… I have plenty of it." She gave the girl a full smile; glad when finally she picked up the glass and gulped the content. "And you two should drink as well. It looks like you need it."

Kensi cast a furtive glance at Deeks who was still with his eyes closed and then moved to the water and drank herself, avidly. She was pouring a glass for her former partner, when Rosy held her wrist.

"Are you or the girl in danger? He looks like he can't even stand. But I know him too well. I know he won't stop even if it means hurting himself. That boy has such a big heart…"

A knot formed in Kensi's stomach, hearing the woman's words. Rosy obviously knew Deeks very well. "Someone is trying to kidnap Allison. Deeks is her teacher and he saved her once yesterday." She whispered so Allison couldn't hear her. "My… my office has been compromised so we don't have a place to stay for tonight…" Even if she wanted, the agent couldn't lie to the other woman, there was something in those green eyes that went deeply into her soul, that she couldn't resist.

"Like I said, Marty's friends are my friends, so you're welcome to stay here as long as you want or need." The older woman was still talking when the door opened and Sal stepped through it, carrying three fuming pizzas.

"And here you are… I made two margherita pizzas for you lovely ladies because I didn't know your taste and my special one for you, Marty." The old man placed the plates on the table and the aroma of the delicious food spread all over the room.

Deeks opened his eyes and laboriously managed to stand up. "Kensalina, don't even think about stealing mine. That is the Marty Deeks Special and no one is allowed to have it. Right, Sal?"

Sal laughed at the antic, recognizing Marty's affection for the gorgeous brunette. He remembered the young man talking about his partner or former partner, he remembered how his eyes shined and brightened up as he did it. That light and that sparkle were still there. "Marty, be kind to your friend. I can always make a Kensi Blye Special for her."

"Be careful, Sal. Never, ever try to satisfy Kensi's appetite…. You could go bankrupt!" The ex-cop said grinning, but his eyes never left his former partner's, like they were simply glued.

"Sal, this pizza is simply delicious… special or not. I don't think I've ever had anything so tasty." Kensi murmured avidly, biting a big slice.

"See? That's what I was talking about…" Deeks indicated to the NCIS agent, hearing Sal and Rosy laugh at his joke.

"Mr. Sal, this pizza is really good. I agree with Kensi. The best pizza I have ever had." Allison talked for the first time since they arrival.

The older man approached her, placing his calloused hand behind her head, in a caring and tender gesture. "First, you cut that mister crap…"

"Sal, language! _Brutta linguaccia_!" Rosy scolded him, literally killing him with her green eyes.

"Sorry, please forgive me, Allison…"

The girl chuckled amused; relaxing for the first time in two days, because of the warm welcome these two people reserved them all.

"So, call me Sal and we'll get along very well… and you, my little girl, you can have your own special pizza as well."

"Really? Can I have an Allison McGregor Special?" She asked incredulously.

"Of course you can!" Rosy remarked, winking at her cunningly.

"Hey, now I don't feel that special anymore… where's the love?" Deeks muttered, pretending to be offended.

"Here's the love." The older woman moved from Allison's side to his, then she engulfed him in one of her typical mama bear hugs. "Better now?"

The ex-cop hesitated, nodding gratefully at her, understanding what she was doing. Then, with a feeble voice, he said, "Always…" There was no joke, no irony in his word, just pure honesty and deep affection.

Once again, Kensi found herself wondering what was behind this kind of relationship, wondering how and when her former partner met these two people. Their bond was deep and the three of them were too comfortable around each other… they probably knew one another for a long time. She was still thinking when Sal interrupter her train of thoughts.

"Marty, your old room is still there, ready as always; you all can rest there, have a shower… do whatever you want for how long you need. You know you're at home here."

Deeks couldn't be happier of his choice to come here. He needed it and knew that even Kensi and Allison needed it as well. "Thanks, Sal. You know how much I appreciate it…" He grabbed the old man's hand, squeezing it, hoping he could convey, in the gesture, his gratitude and all of the emotions he was feeling in that moment more than he did with his words. "Rosy, why don't you take Kensi and Allison upstairs so they can shower? When they're done it will be my turn."

"Of course, sweetie. Are you ready girls? And you know what? I think you will enjoy a hot bath even more than a shower…" The older woman took the younger ones by her arms and lead them upstairs.

"Rosy, I think I can declare you my eternal love for this!" Kensi said. "Will you be ok, Shaggy?" She then asked, turning towards her friend.

"I'll be fine, Fern. My stomach is full and the painkillers are kicking in… I can resist a little bit without you. But what about you? How can you survive without my awesome presence?"

The agent shook her head, unable to suppress a laugh. She locked her eyes on him as they started one of their silent conversations. She knew it was stupid, but he was right and leaving him even for a little while was costing her a lot. "Just be good, Deeks, ok?"

His expression softened and his eyes lightened up. "Yeah, of course." His voice assumed that mellow tone that turned her legs into Jell-O.

Kensi looked at him one more second and then she followed Rosy upstairs, leaving Deeks and Sal alone, sitting at the table.

"So, son, what's the story?" The older man asked while collecting the dishes and putting them in the sink.

"Story? No… what… I mean… Kensi and I… well I told you about her, so… you know…"

"Marty, you're babbling and for your information, I was not asking about Kensi." Sal placed a bottle of Lemoncello on the table along with two glasses. "I know that you're still in love with her. It's so obvious."

The ex-cop felt cornered, with no way out, as always when it came to this man who could go deep into his soul, reading his deeper thoughts, feeling his deeper emotions. He smiled, but it was a nervous smile, while his fingers played with the cold glass coming directly out of the fridge. "You know I am not supposed to drink anything alcoholic while taking my pills…"

"Oh don't worry, you're not going anywhere tonight, nothing will happen to you… and on top of it, my Lemoncello will help you rest." Sal's dark eyes locked on Marty's blue ones. "I was not kidding, Marty, you really look like crap. What happened to you? I see the way you're limping, the way you wince at any movement… you know that Rosy and I worry about you. Let us help you… talk to us, Marty. Talk to me."

Deeks was aware that the older man was not only referring to his physical condition, he already knew that there was a turmoil inside of him that was contorting his stomach. The ex-cop passed a hand over his tired face, feeling all the weariness and the weight of the long day on his shoulders. He hadn't realized how tired he was until this moment, when adrenaline was leaving his system. "It's a long story, Sal… I… I don't even know how I found myself in it, maybe it's just my usual luck."

The older man poured a bit of the yellow liquid into the glass and offered it to his younger friend, placing the glass through his shaking fingers. "Why don't you start from the beginning? You know I am a patient man… and please stop talking about luck. Luck is what brought you here in first place and what brought you here today. But it's not because of luck that you're still alive in spite of everything, that you're still standing… it's because of you and of the great man you are Marty, never forget this. Never!" His voice was steadier than before but still had that kind tone that the man usually used.

The ex-cop bit his lip and bowed his head, sighing heavily. "It started yesterday morning, it was just another day like all the others…" He told Sal about the attempted kidnapping at school, about meeting his team after three years, the surgery, the car crash… their escape, everything. He simply couldn't stop; it was like a river in flood. Talking to the older man had always helped him and relaxed him, more than going to a therapist, because Sal truly listened to him and never judged him. He had been simply there, all the time, when Deeks had needed it. "…and here we are, knocking at your door, messing with your life and putting you in danger."

"Oh stop being an idiot, Marty! You are not messing with us. You know that our door is always open to you and to your friends. You never brought them here and trust me I understand why you did it, so I never judged your decision, your choice." Sal put a hand on the younger man's shoulder in his affectionate way, in his loving way. It was such a reassuring gesture that warmed Deeks' heart. "And we don't mind the danger. We're here to help you… and between you and me, we know that you would have never come here if you felt that it was really dangerous. I know you, son."

The blond man got up abruptly, ignoring the pain gripping at his knee and leaning against the table he nervously started pacing, passing his hand through his hair. A knot clenched his stomach and he couldn't stop shaking. "I… I don't know Sal, I… feel like… I hate myself for being so weak, for being… like this! You know how much I fought to get back on my feet, to make a new life, but… yesterday, when I saw those men attacking Allison, I… and then Kensi and Sam and Callen… I… I'm not enough anymore, Sal. I'm just a shadow of what I was, of who I was… how can…. What if I get Kensi and Allison hurt because of me, because of this damn knee?!" He sank in the couch, holding his injured limb, ignoring the agony he was causing to it. "I'm not enough…" His last words were just a mere whisper, but drained him because, for the first time, he admitted, out loud, his deeper fears. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he didn't do anything to stop them.

Sal didn't say anything. He simply sat next to him and guided him towards him, allowing the young man to cry on his shoulder, releasing all the tension and all the feelings he had kept buried inside of him for a long time, too long probably. "You are more than enough, Marty, just because you are… you. Don't you realize what you did in the past two days? You did save the girl, not once, but twice. You were there for Kensi… and you took them both here, to safety. How can't this be enough?"

"But what if Kensi doesn't see it like that? What if she thinks I am too weak… that I am useless?" Deeks sounded like a scared kid, reminding the old man of the scared and lonely boy they met the first time.

Sal couldn't stop himself from laughing. "You are really so blind, son. That girl doesn't care about all of this. Don't you see the way she looks at you? Don't you see how her eyes shine when they land on you? You might be still in love with her, but believe me when I say it, she is even worse than you…"

The ex-cop had to bow his head and lick his lips, ashamed. "We kissed…"

"And about time you did! From all the stories you told me in the past, I knew there was something special between you two. And tonight I had the proof that I was right! Man, I can't wait to tell Rosy about this. She's going to be so happy!"

"Please, no! I will never hear the end of it… she will start planning a wedding… an Italian wedding! I'd be screwed!" Deeks had real terror written on his face. The older woman might be tiny, but she was intimidating, reminding him of another diminutive woman.

Sal chuckled, seeing Marty's reaction. It was funny how his wife could be so scary. "Ok, ok, I am not going to tell her, but I have the suspicion that she knows already. You know how perceptive she is. Especially when it comes to this, to your love life."

The ex-cop became suddenly serious and once again, his tongue nervously danced on his lips. "Thank you, Sal. For… everything. You know how much this means to me. You are…"

"I know son, you don't need to thank me. We are always here for you." The older man ruffled Deeks' hair, like he was a young kid.

A yawn escaped the former detective's lips, as his eyelids were getting heavier. He was simply worn out, without energy left.

"Why don't you lie down, Marty? If Rosy wanted your lady friends to have a bath, it will take a while for them to come back here." Without using any kind of strength, he helped Marty to lie on the couch, careful to not hurt his leg. "I will wake you up when they come back." He continued to stroke the young man's golden locks and saw his eyes flutter first and then close. It took Deeks no more than a second to fall asleep.

Sal kissed Marty's forehead, then stood up, turned the light off and headed back to the restaurant, casting one last glance at the sleeping form on the couch and taking a long deep breath. "Rest, my son. Just rest."

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><p>When Kensi stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped up in a white towel, she found Allison sleeping peacefully in the little bed next to the window. Some clean clothes had been laid on the big bed in the middle of the room. She didn't know how Rosy had managed to do this, but for sure she was really grateful.<p>

She put the clothes on, not even surprised that they fit her perfectly, and then dried her hair with the towel. Doing so, she cast a look at the room. There were a lot of books on the shelf, of different subjects and genre, along with some CDs and DVDs. She didn't know what came to her, but she opened the closet, only to find male clothes, that were clearly Deeks'. They were his style… they even had his scent.

"Stop, Kensi. Stop." She told herself, knowing that she was invading his personal space and stepping into something that he had jealously kept for himself for a long time.

The curiosity though, was too big. Her trained eyes continued studying her surroundings, looking for some new information, new details, and new pieces of her former partner's past. She rounded the big bed and stopped in front of what looked like an old, cork bulletin board. There were pictures of school grades on it, of a report card, some newspaper articles and some photographs. She immediately recognized a very young Deeks, about sixteen-seventeen years old, standing proudly between Sal and Rosy, holding a trophy. In another he was older and was in his academic dress the day when he probably took his Law Degree. The third picture caught her attention; because she recognized the man she knew, the scruffy beard, the shaggy hair. He was looking at the ocean at dawn probably according to the light, holding his board. His expression was a mix of peace and relief… She was simply fascinated by his face and by the way the sunrise was making his eyes sparkle.

"Sal took that one the first day he went surfing after the incident. He was like a kid on Christmas Eve. He was so happy, but at the same time there was a hint of melancholy inside of him, it was just something that no one would notice, but I saw that. I know my boy…" A voice almost broken by the emotions told her, startling her.

"Rosy, sorry, I didn't hear you. I… I didn't mean to sneak around, I was just…" Kensi was truly embarrassed, again she felt like an intruder.

The older woman smiled kindly, tilting her head to one side and moving towards her. "No need to apologize. We put those things on the wall because we wanted to remember them." Her expression softened as she passed her fingers over Deeks' picture at the beach.

"You really care about him, don't you?" The agent stated, narrowing her eyes.

"I think we both do." Rosy turned to face her, giving her one of her sweetest smile. There was no accusation, no judgment, and no disappointment, just first-hand knowledge. The older woman saw Kensi blush and bow her head, so she lifted her chin, looking straight into her mismatched eyes. "You're even more beautiful than I imagined you… Marty was not lying when he was talking about you. But please don't blush. It's so easy to care about him." She moved aside one of Kensi's wet locks, caressing her face.

The agent didn't know why that simple gesture made her feel so good, it was just a tender gesture from a complete stranger, but her heart warmed when Rosy's fingers danced on her cheek. "How… when… when did you meet him? How do you know Deeks?"

The older woman took her by her hand and guided her towards the bed where they could sit down and be more comfortable. "It's been a long time. I… I think the first time I saw him he was no more than thirteen or fourteen. He liked to hang out at the beach, with Ray, his friend. Do you know Ray?" When she received a nod by the younger woman, Rosy continued. "They were suckers for the waves, for surfing. I was fascinated by him and I didn't know why. He was always smiling and making jokes, but there was something in his eyes, a hidden sadness, like he was carrying a weight heavier than himself. For a couple of years I simply observed him, then one day, he came running into the restaurant, telling us to call the police because a couple of big guys were hitting his friend. He had probably taken a beaten himself, but he didn't care at all. He only wanted to save Ray… We called the police and helped the kids while waiting for an ambulance. I saw that Marty didn't want to be touched or not even be treated, but I am an old stubborn Italian woman and I didn't give up on him… and he probably appreciated it. The next day I found a little bunch of flowers at my door, nothing fancy, but I knew it was from him. Day after day, he started stopping by, to say hello or to buy a slice of pizza. We soon found out that he was already working at the bike rent shop down the road because he needed money, but he was looking for another way to pay for his school. So we offered to help him. He would do some easy duties, like throwing the trash away, and we gave him money… food and a place to stay when he needed. He told us about his mother and even about what happened with his father… he grew fond of us and I think it was the same for us. We started to care…" She took a long deep breath like she was reliving all of those moments. "So when he found himself alone, we gave him a place to stay, for real. We were so proud of him when he finished college and got his Law Degree and we were even prouder when he passed the Bar exam. It gave me a heart attack when he told us that he wanted to become a cop, because we knew that this was what he really wanted. Being a cop was something that defined him, because he was the cop we always wanted around. Someone who cared and wanted the best for the people."

Kensi felt a wave of guilt coursing through her body and heart. She was the reason why he had to quit the job he felt his own, that made him feel special, that made him feel like himself.

Rosy didn't need any words to understand what the young woman was thinking. "You should stop blaming yourself for what happened. He never did. Actually, he was glad that what happened to him didn't happen to you, because it would have probably destroyed him."

"I… I…" The NCIS agent didn't know what to say. She didn't know this, but she didn't doubt Rosy's words, because she knew Deeks, she knew that he would put his own safety at risk to protect her. It was in his nature. "I still wonder how he could do this… how he survived everything that has happened in his life and still be the wonderful man he is right now."

"His damn good heart, that's what saved him. He always found something to care for that kept him going."

"Yeah, and he found people like you that helped take it day after day. How haven't we seen you at the hospital when he was hurt?" Kensi asked, out of curiosity, not to accuse the older woman and her husband.

"If you're asking why Marty never talked to you about us… well, I think that talking about us meant talking about his past, something he wanted to leave behind. If he had to talk about us, he would have to go back to places he preferred to forget." There was a pained shadow veiling Rosy's green eyes, like she had wanted to be an active part of Marty's life and a shared part, not only one of his few safe places. "But you don't have to be mad at him because of that. If there is something that Marty hates, it is lying to you. Because you were… are very important to him. He tried to move on in these past three years, but you were always on his mind, in his thoughts. He is just a big idiot sometimes because he thought that after what happened to him, he was not enough for you anymore."

"NO! I never… I…"

"Ssshhh, it's ok, Kensi. Like I said. A big idiot!" The older woman smiled gently, taking Kensi's hand in hers. "Men can be really stupid sometimes and they don't know how much they miss because of their stupidity. I've been married to Sal for fifty years, but I am not going to tell you how hard I had to fought to conquer his heart and to make him stop being a big fool. Remember, there's still hope… always."

Kensi chuckled at the other woman's words and felt comforted. "He worked so hard on me, he… made me see things differently, made me want to live again, live fully and I fear that I didn't do that for him when he needed it. If I had pushed him a bit harder maybe…"

"You know that it wouldn't have changed anything. On the contrary, it would have probably made things worse. You know Marty and you know that he hates being pushed, especially when he has something in mind. He is so stubborn sometimes…" There was a real motherly affection in Rosy's voice.

This time Kensi couldn't stop herself from laughing, even if there were tears in her eyes. "Like you said, idiot!"

The older woman nodded; pleased that she could help Kensi and Marty have their happiness, because they both deserved it. She caressed the younger woman's face, smiling. "So, what do you think if we go downstairs and help our stubborn guy to take a shower? I didn't tell him, but I don't want him in my kitchen stinking like that!" Rosy froze when she saw the younger woman staring at her, barely holding a big laugh. "What… what… why are you smiling… laughing at me?" Then she suddenly realized and felt a bit ashamed. "I… you… oh come on, you know what I mean. I didn't mean like that… I was just talking about a shower and he can't climb the stairs alone…"

Kensi burst out laughing, unable to resist anymore. "Sorry, but it sounded vaguely dirty!"

Rosy shook her head and then laughed herself. "My dear girl, because I am too old… if I were your age, you'd have a rival in me! That boy downstairs is too worth it!"

The agent stopped laughing and became much serious. Her eyes were filled with affection… simply with love. "You can say that out loud. He is so damn worth fighting for!"

"So, what are we waiting for?" The older woman asked, jumping on her feet like a teenager. "Let's go get him!" She took Kensi's hand, guiding her to her feet. Her voice lowered and her eyes watered. "Go make him happy. Please…"


	11. Chapter 11

As always a big thanks to purecraziness for her priceless help and to all of you who are still following this story.

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><p>My New Old Life - Chapter 11<p>

The man tapped on his keyboard while his blue eyes were glued to the screen. The images flashing on it reflected on his thick glasses in the dim lit room. He was literally lost in what he was doing, lost in his own world. Nothing around him bothered him, nothing disturbed him and mostly, nothing interested him at all. All he needed was in front of him.

Hank Ballard was twenty-nine years old, he had bushy red hair and a pair of pale blue eyes. He had always been a prodigy when it came to electronics, computers and stuff like this, achieving his first degree when he was barely nineteen and the last one of his five, just one year ago. He was smart, incredibly smart, but mostly, he was greedy. Money was his addiction. He used most of it to buy his equipment and all the technological gadgets he loved so much, but the rest was used to pay for company, women's company.

Since the age of eleven, he had been forced to use a wheelchair to walk because of a rare illness that atrophied the muscles of his legs and took away most of sensitivity in the lower part of his body. For this reason he never got out of his house, living literally confined in his attic. His only chance to have sexual encounters with women was to pay for them. And so he did. He had become so addicted to sex that he couldn't function anymore without having intercourse at least once a day, but obviously this little vice of his, cost him a lot of money.

When the mysterious man showed up at his door offering him so much money that he could pay for the women's company for at least five years, he didn't hesitate to accept. Hank didn't mind what kind of job he had to do, probably because he didn't have a conscience, so he didn't care if someone might get hurt in the process. As long as he was being paid, he was all right. The rest of the world could go to hell; this was his mere philosophy.

"So, have you found them?" His employer asked him with a hint of impatience that he tried to mask behind a smile.

"Mr. Smith, like I told you, it's not easy." Hank replied to Mr. Smith. He was aware that the name was fake but it didn't make any difference to him, sincerely he was even happier to not know the real identity of the man, one less problem to worry about. "The NCIS tech is very good. He caught me while I was hacking into their system so he shut it down. All the agents' phones are dead, clear sign that they have been alerted and got rid of them."

"So, are we blind? I thought I was paying you to do a job, not to slack around playing with these nice… these knick-knacks!" Smith's voice rose as he slammed his fists on the table, making everything tremble.

"Hey! Be careful, these knick-knacks as you call them cost thousands of dollars. If you break them, you'll have to repay them, bit by bit!" The red haired man shouted angrily. His equipment and his computers were something he was very attached to for more than one reason.

Mr. Smith tried to control his anger, but sadly, he knew that he needed this poor excuse of a man, that he needed this crappy tech to get what he wanted. Even if he was towering Ballard and had such an imposing figure, he couldn't even touch him and this frustrated him. He was a man of action, a merciless man who didn't hesitate to kill people, but right now, his hands were tied and he depended on Hank. "If you don't know where they are, how can you pretend to be able to find them?"

"I don't need to pretend!" Hank was losing his patience; this man was paying him handsomely, but he didn't have any right to treat him like this. "I am already working on something, so please shut up and let me do the job you pay me for!"

Smith was almost on the edge of punching Ballard in the face, but the man's last words intrigued him. "Working on something?"

"I see that I whetted your appetite…" Hank had a big smile plastered on his face that went from ear to ear. "Yes, I may have lost, for now, Peter McGregor because he is probably under the strict protection of NCIS, but don't worry, I am sure that I will be able to catch them as soon as they try to access their safe information from somewhere else. Like I said, their tech is good, very good, but I am better. I am the best and you know what makes me the best? The fact that no one knows anything about me makes me the best. I simply don't exist. I am a ghost… and no one can catch a ghost."

The bigger man frowned, a bit disturbed by the hacker's rambling. "So, what do we do? We wait?" He muttered, clenching the desk with both hands.

"You don't need to be so mad… you look like a fool doing it. And you don't want to look like one, do you?" The grin became even wider on Ballard's face and he could see how Smith was barely managing to contain himself. "Anyway, before Agent Blye's phone went dead I managed to intercept a message from one of her teammates, I suppose it was one of them at least, warning her that their office had been compromised. Unfortunately, the text was sent by a burn phone that has been disabled immediately after sending the message, but…" A triumphant smirk lightened up his expression. "…I was able to triangulate the signal and I found the area where the girl, the agent, and the teacher got out of the sewer."

"A location? Do you have a location then?"

"Mr. Smith, I said I have an idea of the area. Being more precise is impossible since the phone was turned off and probably destroyed soon after they received the text. And for your information, it's just a couple of miles' area, near Venice Beach. They chose a good place to hide since it's always crowded over there." Hank paused, allowing the bigger man to digest the new information.

"I don't care about how crowded that place is. They have nowhere to go, they can't stop at any hotel or motel for the night and mostly they can't move too quickly. That fucking crippled teacher is probably slowing them down. If Agent Blye is smart, she should get rid of him. And if she does that, I will have a new ace in my sleeve."

"Speaking of your ace in the sleeve…" Ballard interrupted Smith's train of thought. "I might have a little gem for you about the fucking teacher."

"Please tell me that someone found him hiding in a dark alley!" The mysterious man's voice was low, lower than usual, like he was already tasting what he was going to do to the teacher if he had him in his hands.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, no one found him or the two women, but I found some very interesting information about him." Hank could feel Smith's eyes on him, literally killing him with his stare. "His name is Marty Deeks, he is a teacher of economy and jurisprudence. He has been teaching at Montgomery High School for a little more than two years, he has a law degree, and he even passed the state bar… smart guy I say."

"Are you telling me this only to make me and my men look like fools? Because we've been beaten by a crippled ex-lawyer?" And once again, Mr. Smith was losing his temper. He didn't like Hank's attitude, he never liked it, but today the man was even more annoying than usual.

"No, I'm telling you that you and your men have been beaten by an ex-cop who oddly enough, worked as a liaison officer with NCIS. More precisely, Agent Blye was his partner for more than five years…" Hank said triumphantly, playfully slapping the other man's arm. "Smile, Smithie, at least you don't need to die of shame anymore. According to my data, the guy was good at his job. The circumstances around the reason why he ended up crippled have been hidden, but you know very well that I am simply the best and that no one can stop me when I am after someone… or something."

Smith was definitely intrigued now. He had to give Ballard credit. He truly was the best. "So, what did you find out?"

"Apparently, Agent Blye and Detective Deeks were taken captive by the group of people they were chasing. The boss wanted some information from them, but since they didn't want to tell him anything, he decided to move from a robust beating to shooting the cop's kneecap. The guy took two rounds right before the cavalry arrived. The doctors managed to save the leg, but it was not very useful anymore. So he quit and found a job as a teacher."

"That's very interesting… very interesting. If I had to get to those three I am sure I can have a lot of fun…"

Hank chuckled, rubbing his hands together in expectation. "So, maybe… You can give me a couple extra grand for this little finding. "Come on, Smithie, don't be shy!" This time he slapped the man's upper arm, winking and smiling cunningly.

"You know, maybe you're right, maybe I can reward you for your job…" Before he finished his sentence, Smith slammed Ballard's face on the desk, probably breaking his nose and making it bleed. Then, he roughly yanked his head and with a smooth movement, he placed the blade of his sharp knife on the other man's throat. "What do you think if I cut your throat open as a reward?"

Panic froze Hank's blood in his veins. For a moment he was literally paralyzed, unable and afraid of moving a single muscle. He felt the cold metal of the knife pressing on his skin as little drops of blood oozed out. "Please… I… I am sorry… I didn't mean to… oh God please… Don't kill me…" He was begging the bigger man; closing his eyes, trying to control the trembling that was taking possession of his whole body. "Please…" Tears ran down his face as he realized that he peed in his pants.

Mr. Smith put a little bit more pressure in his gesture, smiling evilly as he watched Ballard shake and shiver. There was nothing that gave him more satisfaction than seeing people at his mercy, scared, terrified, literally paralyzed. The smile turned into a chilling laugh.

Hank thought that he was going to die, that his time had come, but suddenly, the other man released him, slightly patting him on his cheek. He collected himself, immediately holding his bloody nose and his throat. "You are crazy… completely crazy!"

Smith turned to face him, removing Ballard's hand from his face and checking on his job. He grabbed the other man's chin in his vice, looking at him straight in the eyes. "You can call yourself lucky because I am not crazy. If I were, you would be dead by now…" He let Hank go and moved away from him, headed to the door. "Give me a location, of McGregor or of his daughter, but give me one!" His voice was cold as ice and sharp as his own blade. "And be sure to change your pants before one of your whores gets here…"

Ballard observed him leave and finally released the breath he didn't even realize he was holding. Then he managed to turn around in time to throw up in the trash bin. "What have I got myself into?" He murmured between retches.

* * *

><p>Hetty had arrived at the back up Operation Office just a few minutes ago but she was already giving orders and asking for updates about their current situation. "What can you tell us, Mr. Beale?"<p>

"According to what I've been able to find in the LAPD database, no one has seen Kensi, Deeks, or Allison and mostly no one has seen them being taken." Eric paused a moment, looking at his friends, seeing them relieved because of the most recent news. "Agent Freeman, Blackthorn, and King didn't stand a chance with those men. They all were shot in the chest and in the back. The evidence leads LAPD to think that the commando used AK-47s during the attack. Like I said, in the house there was trace of tear gas, but the empty containers found in the apartment are useless. No recognition number, no fingerprint… nothing of nothing!"

"Damn it! They are even better than we imagined. These people are extremely dangerous and we don't have a single clue to find them! Not to mention to find Kensi and Deeks. And the girl." Callen's eyebrows furrowed as he talked. His mind was already trying to find a way, putting a plan together, but at the moment, he couldn't think of anything.

"Well, maybe, and please take my words with a grain of salt, I can trace the hacker attack. I mean, I can try at least and now that I have the anonymity of the net covering for me, maybe I can try to find him. If we can find who snuck into our system, maybe we can find the people he is working for… and we can finally have a clue about our bad guys." The tech's face was not very reassuring, but it was something he could try to do. They didn't have much to lose at this point and maybe that little bastard who hacked into their network didn't expect a direct attack. Maybe he was looking at them, anticipating their moves, and expecting them to fend.

"Can you really do it, Eric?" Jason wondered, receiving for the first time in a couple of days, some good news.

"I… I can try, but I think I will need a bit of help… from Nell." Eric blushed, bowing his head when he sensed everyone's eyes on him. "I… I don't mean that I need her like I need her. I need her hands… no, I mean… with a computer, because we might have to do stuff at the same time… with the keyboard, that's why I need her hands not for…"

"Eric, we got it. Shut up." Sam patted him on his back, chuckling in amusement. The tech was so funny in his babbling.

"Miss Jones will assist you Mr. Beale, in case of necessity, Mr. Price will work with Mr. Hanna or Mr. Callen or I will find someone else to work with him." Hetty explained, nodding gravely.

"As long as it is not Granger, I'm good." Jason snapped, losing a bit of his usual indifference and calmness.

Callen and Sam couldn't suppress a chuckle; they all remembered when Price had to tag along with Granger for a whole week. The poor man was literally drained of all of his energy at the end and most of the time he had been on the edge of punching the Assistant Director in the face.

"Don't worry, Mr. Price, our dear Assistant Director is in DC for a meeting with Director Vance. I am sure he will be already fuming because we're out of touch and he can't contact us."

Her words echoed heavily in the room and a silence engulfed all of them, realizing for the first time in its entirety, the gravity of the situation. They were basically on their own, without any chance to contact anyone that could support them, dealing with merciless assassins who were essentially like ghosts.

"Hetty, what do we do if we can't find them? What if we can't find this person who's playing with our system? We can't hide forever and we can't leave LA." Eric murmured; his voice was just a whisper, barely audible.

"What do you mean we can't leave LA?" Sam was taken by surprise by the tech's statement; no one talked about not leaving LA.

Eric cast a concerned look at Hetty who nodded at him.

"Please, Mr. Beale, show them." She exhorted him.

The tech worked on his laptop and some mugshots appeared on screen, one of each one of them. The names were fake, but the faces were theirs. "It seems that we are all wanted by the FBI, our faces are in the airports, train stations, and police departments' databases. I tried to take them down, but the level of security is too high. I haven't found a key to access his system yet … and this is driving me crazy!"

"Son of a bitch!" Jason almost shouted, slamming his hand on the table. "Sorry, I… I didn't mean to snap." He apologized, seeing everyone scolding him with a stare.

"It's ok, Jason, we all feel the same." Callen reassured his teammate, passing a hand over his face in the meantime. He, like all of his friends, hadn't slept for at least 48 hours and the tension of the whole situation was taking a toll on him as much as on the others. Even Hetty seemed more nervous than usual. It didn't happen every day that they were under a cyber-attack by someone so good that caused them to hide and get away from Ops. "Eric, do you have eyes on the outside? Is Kaleidoscope still working or is it compromised?"

"Sadly Kaleidoscope is linked to our network and so it's out of commission, but there are cameras outside this building and in the whole area, not to mention the fact that I can enter into the system and access to the camera spread through the city. Why, what are you looking for?"

"I want you to keep an eye out for Kensi, Deeks, and Allison. Kensi knows about this place and she will try to get here. They could be anywhere at this point…" The team leader's mind was wandering, analyzing every single option. He didn't like the idea of Kensi alone out there with a scared teenager and with Deeks who sadly was not fit to run and move as he wanted.

"I am sure they are safe, G. Kensi can take care of herself and Deeks…" Sam paused, intently studying his partner's expression, reading him like an open book. He knew what he was thinking, so he replied to his unexpressed doubts. "…He might be a teacher right now, but you saw what he did the other morning, the way he took care of those guys. You know the saying, once a cop, always a cop."

"Mr. Hanna is right and in addition to this, Mr. Deeks has another advantage that we better not underestimate. He knows LA better than all of us put together. At this point, this is what makes the difference for them and can keep them alive." Hetty added, sitting in one of the chairs. Suddenly she felt exhausted, like all the weight of the whole situation was on her shoulders.

"What do you mean? Where is my daughter? Is she safe?" Peter McGregor asked, appearing out of nowhere with Nell right behind him. He was clearly agitated; his eyes were wild, like he was possessed by the devil. For sure he was consumed by the worry. Not knowing where Allison was and if she was safe, was slowly consuming him, burning him like a candle.

Everyone turned to look at him and at the analyst who bowed her head apologetically, aware that she should have kept the man away from the others.

"Captain, please, have a seat and calm down." Sam was about to guide the other man towards one of the vacant chairs, when McGregor snapped.

"I don't want to stay calm and mostly, I don't want to sit in that damn chair! I want to know where my daughter is!" He yelled angrily, even if his voice was broken by the emotions. "And please me, don't lie to me! I don't deserve that shit!"

Surprisingly, it was Jason who approached him and spoke to him first. "We don't know, Captain. We honestly don't know where Allison is, but we're sure that she was not captured by those men who assaulted the safe house and presumably blew up the boatshed. We're trying to locate her, my partner and Mr. Deeks… but no news is good news, don't you think?"

The Captain nodded, inhaling gravely. "Thanks for the honesty, Agent Price."

"You're welcome, Captain. Trust me, I am worried myself, but believe me, my partner is really one of the best and from what I've been told, Mr. Deeks was…" Jason hesitated, sensing his teammates' eyes locked on him. "…is good, in spite of his injury. Remember that he saved your daughter once already."

Sam looked at him with an approving expression, almost silently thanking him. He was aware that it was not easy for Price to be in this situation, with the ghost of his predecessor, which suddenly appeared and attracted all the attention. The ex-Seal exchanged a look with his partner, happy to see the same sentiment mirrored in Callen's blue eyes. "Jason is right, Captain. If Allison was my daughter, if she was in a dangerous situation like this one and Callen and I weren't with her, there wouldn't be anyone better than Kensi… and Deeks to get her to safety."

McGregor buried his face in his hands, sinking into the chair. "Oh my God, this is a nightmare, an endless nightmare. And all because of me." There were tears in the man's eyes, tears that he was not able to stop anymore.

"I am sure they will find their way here. We all have to believe it." Jason insisted, feeling like he needed to comfort this man who had already lost his wife in such a horrific way and was fighting to keep himself together only because of his missing daughter.

"Miss Jones, Mr. Beale said that he needs your help to find the hacker. Start working on it immediately. We don't have any more time to lose. Those men have too much advantage on us, it's time for us to catch up with them." The Operations Manager looked at her team and felt a sense of pride. She knew they were the best, but it was in situation like this one that she realized that she wouldn't have chosen anyone better than these people.

"On it. Come on, Eric, what do you want me to do?" Nell asked, sitting next to tech and taking place in front of one of the laptops.

Eric was replying to them when his tablet emitted a beeping sound. "What the…?" He started working on it, sliding page after page. "Yes!"

"Eric, what's up?" Callen wondered, moving behind the tech.

It was weird how a simple single word could change the mood of people. Just one second before they were on the edge of desperation, now Eric's exclamation renewed their enthusiasm.

"Remember when I told you that Kaleidoscope was out of commission because it's linked to our system." Everyone in the room silently nodded at the tech's question. "Well, I used an old program to research the plates of the vans that attacked Kensi and Deeks the other day. Well, believe me or not, I have a hit!"

"What?" A chorus of different voices asked in unison as trepidation gripped their hearts.

"Yes, one of the vans was found this morning near the Santa Monica Pier. It was taken to a shop not far from there." Eric was hardly containing his excitement. It was the first concrete lead they had had since the beginning of this whole situation.

"Give us the address." Callen asked anxiously, turning to face his partner and finding him nodding to him.

"Callen, what are you going to do about the fact that the police is looking for you? You can't go into that shop and start asking questions. LAPD will be probably there to check the van." Nell lifted her head from the keyboard of her computer where she was collecting some data.

"I don't know... we improvise maybe." Sam intervened, winking cunningly.

"Ok, I'm coming with you guys." Jason was about to follow Sam and Callen out of the room when Hetty stopped him. "Mr. Price, I have a delicate assignment for you." She told him, pointing her stare at Captain McGregor. "You did very well with the Captain and it seems that he listens to you. I need you to stay with him."

"You want me to babysit?" Price wondered, not entirely convinced.

"No, I want you to keep him company, to keep him focused and mostly, I want you to protect him if things don't go as planned. Even from himself." The Operations Manager added with a grave tone. "If something happens to Allison, I don't know what he might do."

Jason looked from his boss to the terrified man, sitting in the chair, fighting the trembling. "Ok, I will do my best."

"Thank you." Hetty then moved towards Callen and Sam. "You two be careful out there. If things get ugly… run."

The two senior agents couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"That's hell of advice, Hetty." The ex-Seal gave her one of his full dimpled smiles, before shaking his head and walking away followed by his partner.".

"Mr. Callen, Mr. Hanna." Hetty called them back before they disappeared from her view. "Remember that you're on your own. Just try to come back." She sighed heavily, closing her eyes. She hated feeling so helpless. It was in situations like this one in which she started to feel the weight of her age, of a life spent without any kind of dear ones. These people were her only family and she cared about them, more than she was able to show, mostly because of her role in the agency. She needed to be detached, cold most of the times, but this didn't mean that she didn't care. Actually, the opposite was probably true since she cared too much, exposing herself to help her people. She watched her two senior agents leave, feeling a sense of void inside of her, as the fear gripped her heart. "Mr. Beale, Miss Jones, please find the hacker. And do it soon."

* * *

><p>A stabbing pain in his knee took his breath away and awoke him with a start. Deeks opened his eyes and attempted to put himself on a sitting position but found himself entangled in a web of arms, fingers, and wavy dark hair.<p>

It was still the middle of the night and Kensi was sound asleep. She didn't even stir when he struggled to find a more comfortable position.

The pain was quickly forgotten and he lost himself looking at her. With gentle and caring fingers, he brushed one of her locks away from her face, tenderly drawing the lines of her beautiful features. It wasn't a dream and she was here with him, lying next to him, like he imagined hundreds of times in the past three years.

A new wave of agony brought him away from the perfect moment and his hand moved away from Kensi to grab on his knee. He didn't want to look at it. Actually, he didn't even look at it when he was showering or when he was dressing, afraid of what he might see. Deeks was more than aware that he overdid it, that he should have allowed his leg to rest after the last little surgery, but sadly the bad guys were after them and didn't agree too much with him.

Careful not to wake up his former partner, he slid his legs on the floor, reaching for the remaining crutch he had placed near the bedside table. He grabbed it and as soon as he put all of his weight on it, it bent, curving at an unnatural angle, almost sending him to the floor. The ex-cop was rapid to lean against the wall, biting his lip to fight the pain and to not curse. "Damn it!" He muttered between ground teeth.

He cast a scrutinizing glace at the crutch and a knot formed in his stomach. It was useless at this point since he probably used in not so appropriate way when he used it like a bat. He tried to straighten it enough to help him go downstairs but it was a tough job. "You definitely need a drink, Marty." He told himself.

Limping, he managed to climb down the stairs and reach the kitchen in the back of the restaurant, the one that Sal and Rosy used for themselves, the one where he spent a lot of time when he was younger, simply watching the older woman cook. A light smile curved his lips as he opened the fridge, picking up a beer before sitting at the table.

"You know you shouldn't drink any kind alcohol, Marty… and mostly you should take a pill." Sal's voice was warm and gentle as he approached the younger man, placing one of his hands on Deeks' shoulder. With an imperceptible movement, he opened the cabinet and took out the blister of the painkillers. "Here, take a couple of these."

Marty put the offered pills in his mouth and gulped them down without water. Then, he closed his eyes, leaning his head slightly backward. The little climb from the room had tired him more than he had expected and now his knee was throbbing like never before. It was like someone was sinking and twirling a knife inside of it, over and over.

"How are you feeling son? And don't give me any of your crap, you know I don't like when you do." Sal's voice was steady, but his eyes were sweet and couldn't hide the worry. He had seen how pale this young man he cared so much about was when he had stepped in his restaurant. He noticed the missing walking stick and now, the missing crutch. He might be old, but he was far from being stupid.

"I like when you do this." Deeks murmured without even opening his eyes. He didn't need to do it to know what he could read behind the older man's eyes.

"What, scolding you or… caring about you?" This time Sal couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Because sincerely, these are things I am very good at."

The ex-cop shook his head, knowing that he was not going to win this battle. His face contorted when a new wave of pain assaulted him. His hand instinctively moved towards his knee, holding it tight like he was breaking to pieces, like it was exploding. "It hurts like hell." He admitted, taking a long, deep breath, hoping to regain a bit of control.

"You need to rest, Marty, and take care of yourself. Do you remember what your doctor told you? If you don't do it and try to overdo it, you will only make things worse. What happened to you in these past few days is bad enough to cause further damage, if you don't stop right now, you will lose that leg. Why don't you see it?" Sal reached for Marty's shoulder, squeezing it with unsuspected strength.

"I know, Sal, but… I can't step back right now. That girl needs to be safe, to be reunited with her father. They are all they have left. I have to help her." He paused, inhaling deeply and locking his blue eyes on the older man. "And I can't leave Kensi alone, fighting those men, Sal. They are dangerous and are not going to stop for anyone or anything."

A big grin brightened LaTorre's expression. "I knew you were going to say that… and even if I am worried about you, I'm very proud of you, Marty. There are not many men who are ready to sacrifice so much to help other people." His hand moved from the young man's shoulder to over his heart. "You always showed me how good you are… you have such a big heart."

Tears formed in Deeks' eyes at Sal's words. Even after all the years that he had had known this man, he was still not used to this kind of kindness, this kind of affection, of love. His not-so-stellar childhood left indelible marks on his soul along with uncertainties and fears that occasionally resurfaced. His father's words had sunk deep into his mind, mining his soul, making him doubt himself. With Sal and Rosy's help, he had managed to understand what having a family that loved him meant, but sometimes, no matter how much love he was surrounded with, they came back to haunt him, crumbling down the thick wall he had built around himself as protection, brick after brick. "Too bad the heart is not always enough against the big guys."

"Why do you do that, Marty? Why do you always underestimate yourself, beat yourself down? You are a wonderful man, strong, loyal, and passionate… I am sure that Kensi thinks the same." Sal's face was now serious, but there was a mischievous light behind his stare. "I see how she looks at you and the way you look at her. And just for the record, when you said she was beautiful, it didn't give her justice."

The ex-cop chuckled, not so sure if he was happy for the little change of conversation. Kensi was a delicate subject to discuss and he was probably not ready to discuss it so openly.

"And you should prepare yourself for Rosy's ire. She was so mad that you never took her here when you were partners. You know how she is… and if it wasn't for my wife being so worried about you, she would have probably scolded you like a little kid." Sal added, leaning on the back of his chair, waving his hands in the air in sign of surrender. "I warned you, just remember it when she comes to you."

Deeks looked at the man with his mouth open, frowning and narrowing his eyes, not sure if it was a joke or a real threat. He knew too well not to go against Rosy when she was moody about something and he couldn't deny the fact that the older woman sometimes was even scarier than Hetty. "I… I mean… I should…"

It was then that Sal burst out laughing. "Ahahah you should have seen your face, son. Too bad I didn't have a camera to take a picture of you!" After a few moments in which he was barely able to contain his amusement, his expression became serious and his eyes deeper. "You know that Rosy loves you like a son, Marty, she would never hurt you, but I am sure she would question you about the reason why you never introduced us to Kensi or to your friends at NCIS. I just hope you were not ashamed of the old Italians like us…"

"NO! Never. I will never be ashamed of you. You… you did so much for me that I would never repay you even if I lived hundreds of lives." The ex-cop's face darkened as he bit his lip nervously. "I can't be ashamed of you, you are the most wonderful people I have ever known… it's me I am ashamed of."

His words were like a punch in the gut for the older man, who hated seeing Marty suffer. "Marty, you don't…"

"No, Sal… I swear letting you meet them was something I wanted to do, but taking them here, allowing him in this part of my life would be allowing them into a part of my life, of my past, that I only want to forget. They know that… well that my childhood was less than stellar, and only Kensi knows the details, but I haven't confessed some things to her either."

"Do you remember when you were younger, when we were talking about what having friends mean… do you remember what we talked about?" Sal's gaze was so intense, that Deeks barely held it. The older man's eyes went deep into his soul, reading like probably no one was ever able to do it.

"I… you said that true friends will laugh with you, share things with you, that they will be there for you, to give you a hug or to punch you when you're doing something stupid." The ex-cop's eyes veiled again, understanding what Sal wanted to tell him. "True friends will never judge you for your past or for what other people think about you… then you asked me who were my friends…"

"Yes and you told me that you have only a friend even if no one really liked him."

"Yeah, Ray was never Mr. Popularity, because people considered him just an idiot and a bad lot." Deeks continued, sighing heavily.

"Yes, but you loved him like a brother because of who he was and of everything he did for you… you didn't judge him because of his past or how people saw him. You loved him, no matter what… and your friends at NCIS and Kensi will never judge you because of your past." The man reached for Marty's hand and then looked at him intently, hoping that he could feel reassured by his words. The young man, from an outsider, looked confident, but deep down he hid a lot of insecurities and probably, even a dark side he was truly scared about.

"Why, Sal? Why do you… why are you always so supporting with me?" Deeks' voice was so feeble and, at the same time, very child-like.

"Because you deserve it, Marty… and because it's not only Rosy who sees you like a son." It was Sal's turn to have misty eyes now. "Since the first time I saw you in this restaurant, I knew there was something different in you. You were and probably are not perfect, but I wouldn't change the moments we had for anything in the world." He hadn't finished his sentence before he was guiding the ex-cop into one of his tight, comforting hugs.

Deeks couldn't fight it, but every time the older man engulfed him in his arms, he felt safe. It didn't matter if he was not a kid anymore, there was something in being in Sal's strong arms that made him feel better… maybe it was only the power of love.

They remained like that for a few long minutes, until finally they broke apart. "Now we better compose ourselves because if someone had to step in here, we would look like two weepy kids."

"You mean that if Rosy stepped in, we would never hear the end of it." A cunning smile appeared on Deeks' face, lightening it up.

"Yeah, you are probably right." Sal was still laughing when he noticed Marty touching his knee. It was probably more a reflex than a real need, but as always, he couldn't contain his worry. "Now, give me a serious and honest answer, how's your knee? And where the hell is your walking stick?"

"The knee is a mess, Sal. I just had another surgery a couple of days ago after one of the bad guys who wanted to kidnap Allison, hit me on it. My walking stick met its maker but at least it saved my life…"

LaTorre frowned, not wanting to go any further with the questions. What he heard was already enough. "Marty, you can't go on like this… it's for your own sake."

"I have already told you, Sal. I can't… I simply can't." The blue of his orbs became darker because of the intensity of his stare.

Sal knew that stare very well; it was the stare of someone who was too stubborn, too proud, and maybe too loyal to give up and step back. "Just promise me, you will be careful… and when all of this is over, you and your friends will come here for dinner. It will be on the house." He studied Deeks for a long endless minute, and then he added, "Promise me, Marty…"

The ex-cop nodded, bowing his head. How could he promise that when he didn't even know if they would make it out of this situation alive? But he knew that he owed this to the older man, he owed him at least this. "Ok, I promise."

Sal was guiding him once again in his embrace, when the door of the kitchen burst open and Rosy rushed inside, clearly in panic.

"Marty!" She yelled, startling the young man who almost fell off his chair.

"Jeez Rosy, you almost gave me a heart attack." Deeks cast a concerned glance at Rosy who was literally shaking. "Rosy, what's up?"

"Marty… I was at the fish market, as usual, to buy the fresh fish for today. There were strange men around…"

"Rosy, dear, it's Venice Beach. It's full of strange people at every hour of the day." Sal reached for his wife, who retreated from his touch, clearly scared.

"No, Sal, those men were completely out of place. They were wearing all black and they walked in groups of two. One of the fishermen said that they were asking questions about two women and a man… it appears that one of the women, the girl is sick and the other two are some sort of relatives who kidnapped her to take her abroad without the parents' permission…" Rosy had tears in her eyes as she allowed her husband to hold her.

Deeks was almost in shock. They were here. The bad guys were onto them and they were spreading false information so everyone could keep an eye on them. Panic gripped his heart. They had to leave and they had to do it now. He stood up, biting the inside of his mouth to fight the pain. "We… need to leave, now…. As soon as possible before someone can make a connection with you two. Can you… can you leave for a few days? I… I know a couple of people who could hide you…"

"Marty, we're not leaving." Sal stopped him, preventing him to go on any further. "And you know us too well to ask."

The ex-cop didn't know what to say. He loved these two people and just the idea of them being hurt because of him turned his stomach upside down. "They are dangerous people, I…"

Rosy left her husband's side to move closer to him. "Don't Marty. Don't go there. Whatever is going to happen is not your fault. It's on us… we have been living here all of our life, we've been happy… we've met a lot of people, some very special to us…" She gently caressed his face, seeing him craving for her touch. "We're old Marty… we had our life. You, Kensi, and Allison have a lot of years in front of you… go, Marty, go and be safe." She made him lean towards her and kissed his forehead.

Deeks held her close, fighting the tears that were forming in his eyes. He then broke the embrace and started walking backwards. He stared at Sal, losing himself in his intense gaze. He felt like a part of his life was ripped away from him as the fear engulfed him. He was scared to turn around and go away, afraid that this might be the last time he would see Sal and Rosy alive.

"_Vai, figliolo… vai e vivi_ _la tua vita_." Rosy told him in her musical voice. "Live… and be happy."

Marty cast one last glance and then turned on his heels, moving in autopilot because he couldn't count on his eyes, completely blinded by the tears. His heart was simply bleeding.


End file.
